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Riesling is their passion at Weingut Peter Lauer.
Since 2013, they have been a member of the VDP (Association of German Prädikat Wine Estates). Their wines from VDP.Grosse Lagen vineyards in the dry and off-dry styles are particularly special, as well as exceptional sparkling wines.
Organic Vineyard Management
Biodynamic Principles
Since 1830, viticulture has been carried out in the Könen/Lauer house in Ayl on the Saar. Winegrower Matthias Lauer married the daughter of Matthias Könen in 1904 and took over the winegrowing business in 1913. Lauer added his vineyard holdings to it. Peter Lauer (I) was born in 1906. After completing his apprenticeship in growing and grafting vines, he took over the family winery in 1938 and led it through the troubled times of the Nazi era and beyond. Peter Lauer (II) was born in 1949.
In 1956, Weingut Peter Lauer experienced a decisive expansion: through the purchase of the renowned Weingut Notar Tappen-Mungenast in Saarburg, Lauer added well-placed parcels in “Neuenberg” and “Untersten Berg” within Ayler Kupp, as well as a choice parcel in “Feils.”
In 1973, Peter Lauer (II) took over the estate with vineyards in the best sites on the Saar in the greater Mosel region. Since 2006, father Peter and son Florian have been working together in the vineyard and cellar, relying on handpicked, vegan, and sustainable still wines, sparkling wines, and crémants made exclusively from Riesling.
Each cask corresponds to a distinctive style and a special point of origin. The must from specific vineyards is always vinified in the same container as the previous year. The cask thereby builds it's own unique character as the wild yeast flora inside the cask “hibernates” in the fine fibers of the wood and ferments the same site again in a style comparable to its predecessors. According to grandfather’s custom, all wines are given this number – the house number in the old vaulted cellar.
Our wines are vinified according to age-old artisanal and traditional winemaking practices and fermented spontaneously without genetically modified or cultured yeasts. The vineyards serve as the source of these wild yeasts. But the cellar is also home to natural flora.
Our wines achieve their inner stability and balance through long and slow fermentations and extensive lees contact – partly supported by bâtonnage, or lees stirring. This also makes the use of bentonites superfluous, and we can do without the commonly used fining agents of animal origin, such as isinglass, gelatin, or casein. The wines vinified in this way stand for authentic craftsmanship and show their point of origin.
Their wine estate in Ayl has among the best steep slopes on the Saar. In addition to the famous Ayler Kupp, they cultivate two other important vineyards in the Mosel region: the Saar Feilser directly above the river and the steeply sloping vineyard Schonfels, a little farther upstream. Recently, they also replanted and recultivated the now forgotten Lambertskirch, just a stone’s throw from Schonfels.
Each parcel, with vines up to 100 years old, have unique microclimates, producing unmistakable wines.
A prime parcel with an ideal exposure to the sun. Half-moon-shaped, it stretches around from an east through a southwest exposition, from the warming Saar into the cooler Saargau at a slope gradient of 35 to 70 percent. As a result, two contrasting microclimates with differing wine styles are found within one vineyard. The soil is rocky and comprised mostly of weathered blue-grey Devon slate with skeletal portions
The vineyard is broken up into separate microclimates, depending on the position on the slope. It's more notable sub-vineyards are detailed below
Unterstenberg lies at the foot of the slope, with a southern exposure. it has a 55% inclimation with heavy slate soils. This is where it gathers at its beste xposed slate and is an inexhaustible source for the vines. Minerals and salts available. Wines that thrive here on old vines, creating Rieslings that are dense, delicately melty, long-lasting and always a little mineral-salty on the palate.
Neuenberg is another foot of the slope vineyard, with a southwest exposure, and a more gentle 25% inclination. It has a high temperature difference between day & night, allowing the vines to develop good & clean botrytis. One of the oldest documented vineyards in the Saar, Riesling benefits from mineral driven, fruity weight andinfinite length on the palate. It creates wines with beautiful ageing potential
Stirn sits on the summit ridge, with a south exposure, on steep 65% inclination slopes. it has top exposure and stony slate soils. High winds and little water creates an environment for top quality hardened vines to grow. It produces elegant, almost weightless Rieslings with an invigorating, cool minerality
Kern is a southwest exposure vineyard, with a top location. It is highly exposed to the evening sun, with a 60% inclination. It has a high temperature difference between day & night, and the stones build up heat during the day. This interplay of scorching heat during the day and coolness at night is the secret to the intense aromatic expression and the preservation of the delicate and concentrated minerality of it's wines.
One of the steepest slopes at 73% inclination. Between the due south exposition and its proximity to the water, the Feils is one of the warmest sites in the Saar Valley. The site’s high solar radiation is further intensified by light reflected from the river. Further determining the microclimate is the temperature regulating effect of the Saar. The soils are rubble with a mixture of river sediments, sand, and pebbles
This particularly warm vineyard, whose soil resembles the Médoc, resembles fresh herbs with its opulent spiciness. Mint, ethereal notes and exoticism combine to create a unique Saar Riesling.
In 1900, top Bordeaux and Burgundy wines were almost Chablis or Yquemunaffordable. For Saar wines, however, the guest even had to pay double orplace triples on the table. They were the most expensive wines in the world.The vines on the Schonfels rock cliff (100 years old) date back to this timethe Saar. The vines here provide only a few liters of concentrated essence, ambassadorsa time long forgotten, still priced today
The Lambertsberg Plateaux in Ayl was considered religious by the Celts as early as 2,500 years ago. You can still feel a special energy flowing here today. The vineyard was replanted in 2012 with offshoots of 100-year-old Riesling vines, and is located directly on the banks of the Saar downriver to the Schonfels. It stands for the highest spiciness and fineness, bringing out the fruity side of Riesling
