Peter Lauer, Neuenberg Fass 17 Riesling 2020

100% Riesling

Mosel, Germany

The “Neuenberg” this year comes in close to dry and is one of the more curious wines Florian makes. It is sourced from a cherry parcel in the Grand Cru Kupp, one that sees the cool morning sun as well as the warmer afternoon sun and, situated as it is mid-slope, it can often have a bit of mist or fog lingering about. Sometimes there is just a touch of early botrytis that Florian will keep in the wine, adding to it a certain exotic textural component, glycerin polished down to its mineral core. It is a profound testament to what Lauer can do, what Riesling can do. It is also always one of the rarest wines.

Neuenberg is a tiny vineyard, located near the bottom of the Kupp mountain, toward the western part of the hill – which is to say in the direction heading away from the Saar River (see map in the gallery to the left). Because of this location, we have a number of things going on. Similar to Unterstenberg (also a plot located toward the bottom of the Kupp hill), Neuenberg is a riper site that has (relatively speaking) a deeper soil and more water than normal. Thus it is a vigorous site. However, it is further away from the river and so the diurnal shift (the difference between night and daytime temperature) is quite extreme, preserving the wine’s acidity. On top of this, the site is located at the part of the hillside where a delicate fog often settles; thus the site has one of the stronger incidences of botrytis. Florian selects out all the extreme botrytis and rot, but uses the most delicately botrytized grapes, to a certain degree depending on the vintage, to accentuate both the texture and depth of fruit, as well as the acidity. Remember: botrytis concentrates both sugars and acids.

Thus we have in Neuenberg one of Florian’s most dazzling wines. It is luxurious and textural and glycerin-rich and layered. It is the Saar’s response to the generosity and exoticism of a wine like Meursault Genevrieres. A good decant or a few years in the cellar can do a lot bring out the depth of this wine. Pair with a ****ing steak.