Peter Lauer Ayler Kupp Kabinett Fass 8

1830 marks the start for the production of wine in the Lauer family. 1956 becomes a significant year since it is then when many of the best vineyards in the original Ayler Kupp falls into the hands of the family, such as Unterstenberg, Neuenberg, Saarfeilser and others.

Today the 9,5 hectares of vines are comprised of some of the best steep sites in the whole of Saar. 2005 Florian Lauer graduated from hos oenological and viticulture studies at the École Nationale in Montpellier. Since 2006 it is Florian Lauer with his father Peter Lauer (II) that are the heads of operation.

Since Florian’s overtaking the wines have constantly been improving and today it is valid to say that Florian has perfected his style focusing on dry and off-dry wines, or rather dry-tasting wines one should say. Florian is a “non-inteventionist” – meaning that no pesticides or herbicides are used, wines go through lengthy and cool spontaneous fermentations, they are filtered but not fined. Wines are fermented in old oak fuder or tanks of fibre glass and stainless steel. Occasionally Florian performs lees stirring on his top-end wines. All efforts at Lauer are then multiplied with the factor of old vines, the majority being over 50 years, and out comes some of the regions very best wines. Lauer’s wines are fine chiselled, crystalline, extremely pure and delicate.

Vineyards, or Terroir if you will, is what is most important to Florian – he has become somewhat of a custodian of old vineyards. During his years at the estate he has put big efforts in not only maintaining the legacy of the vineyards he took over but also re-cultivating old abandoned sites that historically are legendary, Schonfels and Lambertkirch being two – Schonefels being abandoned since the 90’s was completely overrun by bushes, trees and other vegetation – luckily some old (100+ years!) vines could be saved. If you ask Florian why, he does not have a clear answer, he just says that it feels wrong to see these old prime sites being forgotten.