Summary
Weingut Peter Lauer in Ayl is one of the celebrated risers of the Saar. Across around 13 hectares, planted 100% to Riesling, it produces delicate, mineral wines that capture the cool climate and slate of the Saar almost in their purest form. What makes the estate unmistakable is twofold: the consistently traditional ageing in large 1,000-litre Fuder casks with spontaneous fermentation – and the famous cask-number system, in which each wine carries its own cask number alongside the vineyard name. Since Florian Lauer took the reins in the fifth generation, Peter Lauer has been in high international demand and is regarded as one of the benchmarks for modern, precise Saar Riesling.
History
The estate's roots reach back to 1830, when a winegrowing tradition was founded at the Lauer/Könen house in Ayl on the Saar – one that has remained in family hands across generations ever since. For many decades Peter Lauer was a solid Saar estate among many; it was the change of generation that brought the decisive leap in quality.
The defining turning point came around 2005, when Florian Lauer took over responsibility in the fifth generation. His father Peter Lauer, after whom the estate is named, worked in the cellar for a long time and passed on the traditional signature. Under Florian, the estate sharpened its profile radically: uncompromising work in the vineyard, precise single-site wines, and the cask-number system as a hallmark. Within just a few years, Peter Lauer thus went from insider tip to one of the most sought-after names on the Saar.
Location & Terroir
Ayl lies on the Saar, a side valley of the Mosel that stands for some of Germany's most filigree Rieslings. The climate is cool and the ripening season long – exactly the conditions for wines with vibrant acidity, fine fruit and great ageing potential. Decisive is the Devonian slate, which stores warmth and forces the vines to root deeply.
The heart of the estate is the Ayler Kupp, a very steep, south-facing slate slope with individual, historically famous parcels such as Neuenberg, Unterstenberg and Stirn. This small-scale diversity allows the estate to draw out an individual character from each parcel – and it is at the same time the basis for the cask-number system, which makes the individual origins identifiable.
Style & Philosophy
Peter Lauer works emphatically traditionally: spontaneous fermentation with the vineyard's own yeasts, long ageing on the lees, and maturation in large 1,000-litre Fuder casks (wood) rather than in stainless steel. The aim is not loud, showy wines but delicate, transparent Rieslings that precisely reflect their origin and the slate of the Saar. The range covers the full breadth of Saar Riesling – from dry wines through off-dry styles to fruity-sweet Prädikat wines (up to Kabinett and Spätlese) – rounded out by a fine sparkling wine.
The cask-number system
The estate's most striking peculiarity is the labelling of its wines by cask number. Alongside the vineyard name, each wine carries a number that refers to a particular cask or parcel:
- Fass 6 – Riesling from the Ayler Kupp
- Fass 7 – another single-site Riesling of the estate
- Fass 9 „Kern" – a precise, mineral Riesling
- Fass 13 „Feils" – a Großes Gewächs from the Feils site
This system makes the wines instantly recognisable and at the same time tells the story of the individual parcels – an approach closely tied to the idea of the single-site wine, and one that makes the estate unmistakable.
Notable Sites & Wines
Peter Lauer makes wines from a number of verified top sites around Ayl. Among the best known are:
- Ayler Kupp – the steep, south-facing Devonian slate slope and the heart of the estate, with parcels such as Neuenberg, Unterstenberg and Stirn
- Saarfeilser and Feils – the latter yields one of the estate's Große Gewächse
- Lambertskirch
- Schonfels
- Kern – the namesake of the wine Fass 9
The range extends from dry Großes Gewächs through off-dry Kabinett and Spätlese wines to fruity-sweet Prädikat wines – each clearly located by site and cask number.
Awards
Peter Lauer is regarded as one of the risers of the younger Saar generation and is in strong international demand, especially in the USA. Specialist publications such as Mosel Fine Wines rate the wines consistently highly, and around 2016 Gault&Millau honoured the estate with a distinction along the lines of "Collection of the Year". In doing so, Peter Lauer has contributed significantly to renewing the world reputation of Saar Riesling.