Incredible Rieslings from the Mosel's Next Great, Julian Haart
There was a time in the world of retail wine when it was generally assumed that if you bought ten cases of wine and put it the fast-moving section of your store, it was wine made in a factory. And for the most part, this was an accurate description – it still is, at many retailers and grocery stores across the U.S. and Europe.
But one of our missions at Flatiron Wines is to prove that it doesn’t have to be this way. Looking back over the years, it is hard to find greater proof of this than two wines from Julian Haart.
Julian Haart is not a factory. He is a genius wine-maker. He learned to make wines from the very best: Egon Müller and Klaus Peter Keller. He remains best friends with Keller and would no doubt be happy to be thought of as the Klaus Peter Keller of the Mosel. Certainly some people already think of him that way.
His approach is extreme rigor: constantly tweaking, constantly experimenting, both among the vines and in the winery. We we are talking about subtle adjustments – the sort that, when added up together, can lead to an ordinary wine becoming great – and nothing that would break with his core philosophy, which demands traditional and natural wine production.
Given the rigor of his approach, the quality of his possessions — he works entirely in Grand Cru sites located around Goldtropfchen — and that fact that his total holdings consist of no more than about four hectares, it is simply mind-boggling that he produces wine that we can offer in this newsletter for under $20 (and a step-up Kabinett from under $30). It’s even more amazing when you consider that Haart has become a super-allocated Riesling star with a fervent following here in the US (and Europe).
That’s why these may be our favorite anti-grocery store/anti-factory wine finds ever:
