Lieser Castle

Lieser Castle – The Revival of a Moselle Classic

In the heart of the Middle Moselle, in the idyllic wine-growing village of Lieser, lies the Schloss Lieser winery – a place whose history is closely linked to the historicist castle of the same name, which was built between 1884 and 1887 as the family residence of the industrialist Eduard Puricelli . Right next to it, the winery was established in 1904, and went through many ups and downs over the decades.

However, the real success story only began in the 1990s. In 1992, Thomas Haag took over the management of the estate, which at that time was in dire need of renovation, and finally purchased it in 1997 together with his wife Ute. As the son of the legendary Fritz Haag of Brauneberger Juffer, Thomas Haag had practically grown up in the art of winemaking. However, rather than following in his father’s footsteps, he ventured to make a fresh start in Lieser – a bold move that was to prove a stroke of luck for the entire region.

Under the couple’s leadership, the winery experienced a breathtaking revival. Today, the estate cultivates around 29 hectares of vineyards, 100 per cent of which are planted with the noble Riesling grape variety. The portfolio of single-vineyard wines of this VDP member (since 1999) reads like the Who’s Who of the Moselle: Brauneberger Juffer and Juffer Sonnenuhr, Graacher Himmelreich, Lieser Niederberg-Helden, Piesporter Goldtröpfchen and the famous Bernkasteler Doctor . On these steep slate slopes stand ungrafted vines, some over 70 years old, which produce grapes of exceptional concentration .

Thomas Haag’s winemaking philosophy is uncompromising: authenticity and naturalness are paramount. The grapes are harvested by hand in several passes and gently processed to reflect the unique character of each terroir in its purest form . This outstanding quality has not gone unnoticed. In 2015, Thomas Haag was named ‘Winemaker of the Year’ by Gault & Millau. The Eichelmann wine guide awarded five stars in 2018, and Feinschmecker magazine also awarded the estate the highest possible score.

With an impressive range stretching from dry ‘Große Gewächse’ to noble sweet ‘Prädikat’ wines, Schloss Lieser has now catapulted itself to the very top of the world’s Riesling producers. And the story continues: the next generation – daughter Lara and son Niklas – are already actively involved in the business, carrying on the family tradition.