Weingut Schloss Lieser

Schloss Lieser was established in 1904 as the cellar and press house for Clemens Freiherr von Schorlemer's extensive Mosel and Saar vineyard holdings, which once exceeded 100 acres. The property includes a castle built in 1875, now operated by Marriott, with the winery housed in the adjacent century-old stone compound. After changing hands multiple times, the estate fell into sharp decline through the 1970s and 1980s, eventually reaching bankruptcy. Thomas Haag, who had studied viticulture and oenology and worked in New Zealand and Alsace before returning to the Mosel, was appointed General Manager in 1992 and purchased the estate outright in 1997 alongside wife Ute, who serves as co-founder and director.

• Founded 1904 by Clemens Freiherr von Schorlemer as cellar and press house for 100-plus-acre Mosel and Saar holdings
• Castle on the property dates to 1875; now operated by Marriott while the winery occupies the adjacent stone compound
• Estate entered bankruptcy after decades of decline; Thomas Haag joined as General Manager in 1992 and purchased it in 1997
• At the time of Haag's arrival in 1992, the estate comprised just 6 hectares of vineyards

Thomas Haag brings formidable viticultural lineage to Schloss Lieser as the eldest son of Wilhelm Haag, the revered figure behind the Fritz Haag estate in Brauneberg. Rather than inherit Fritz Haag, Thomas chose to forge his own path, leaving the family domaine to his younger brother Oliver, who took over in 2005. Thomas and Ute have built Schloss Lieser into an independent benchmark, and the third generation is now entering the business. Daughter Lara Haag, who studied at Geisenheim University and completed internships abroad, focuses on sales and export, while son Niklas Haag completed his oenology studies at Geisenheim and is actively assisting his father in cellar operations, positioning the estate for long-term family continuity.

• Thomas Haag is eldest son of Wilhelm Haag of Fritz Haag; younger brother Oliver Haag took over Fritz Haag in 2005
• Wife Ute Haag is co-founder and director of the estate
• Niklas Haag studied oenology at Geisenheim University and now assists in cellar operations as winemaker-in-training
• Lara Haag studied at Geisenheim and in Burgenland, now leads sales and export development

Schloss Lieser farms 26 hectares across 185 individual plots, every one planted to Riesling, spanning eight VDP Grosse Lagen across the Middle Mosel. The flagship site is Lieser Niederberg-Helden, a south-facing plateau of soft decomposed slate with deeper soils, where the estate holds 5 hectares. The 2002 acquisition of parcels in Brauneberger Juffer-Sonnenuhr and Brauneberger Juffer brought access to the famous decomposed Devonian slate soils of Brauneberg, producing wines of particular elegance and finesse. Subsequent acquisitions added Graacher Himmelreich, Graacher Domprobst (2018), Wehlener Sonnenuhr (2014), and Piesporter Goldtröpfchen (2016), while a nine-year lease signed in 2016 gave the estate access to a small parcel within the legendary Bernkasteler Doctor, composed of blue and gray slate.

• Lieser Niederberg-Helden is the flagship site: 5 of the estate's 26 hectares, south-facing, soft decomposed slate, VDP Grosse Lage
• Brauneberger Juffer-Sonnenuhr (~2.5 ha) and Brauneberger Juffer acquired 2002; decomposed Devonian slate soils
• Bernkasteler Doctor parcel held under nine-year lease signed 2016; blue and gray slate composition
• All eight vineyards classified VDP Grosse Lage; average yield is 55 hl/ha with selective hand-harvesting over 4 to 8 weeks

Every wine at Schloss Lieser is 100% Riesling, fermented spontaneously with native yeasts at controlled temperatures, typically over 6 to 10 weeks. Grapes are pressed gently and slowly, with no skin maceration, and fermentation takes place in stainless steel tanks. The wines rest on fine lees for 3 to 4 months before bottling at the moment Thomas Haag judges them ready to drink. Harvest is conducted exclusively by hand, with 3 to 4 selective passes through each parcel to capture fruit at optimal ripeness across the estate's multiple quality levels. The range spans dry Grosse Gewächs (GG), off-dry Feinherb, and the full Pradikat spectrum from Kabinett through to Trockenbeerenauslese, with the estate aiming toward 100% organic production, having achieved FAIR'N GREEN sustainability certification in 2024.

• 100% Riesling; spontaneous fermentation with native yeasts in stainless steel, lasting 6 to 10 weeks
• Cool, gentle pressing with no skin maceration; 3 to 4 months on fine lees before bottling
• Multiple selective hand-harvest passes (3 to 4) per parcel over 4 to 8 weeks each vintage
• Full style range: dry GG, Feinherb (off-dry), Kabinett, Spätlese, Auslese, and TBA; FAIR'N GREEN certified 2024

Schloss Lieser stands as one of the most compelling turnaround stories in German wine. In three decades, Thomas Haag transformed a bankrupt 6-hectare property into a 26-hectare Grand Cru portfolio recognized at the very top of every major German wine guide. The estate is the only winery in Germany to have received the highest rating from all five major German wine guides simultaneously, and one of only two Mosel producers alongside Egon Müller to hold a five-star rating from Vinum Weinguide Deutschland. For students of Mosel Riesling, Schloss Lieser offers a masterclass in site diversity: eight Grosse Lagen from Lieser to Piesport, each expressing distinct slate terroirs through a single grape variety with zero compromise on method. The emergence of the third generation in Niklas and Lara Haag signals that this benchmark status is built for the long term.

• Only German winery to receive the highest award from all five major German wine guides
• One of only two Mosel estates (alongside Egon Müller) to hold five stars from Vinum Weinguide Deutschland
• Thomas Haag named Winemaker of the Year by Gault Millau (2015) and Falstaff (2021)
• Estate exports 55% of 110,000-bottle annual production to 45 countries worldwide