No 18 KUPP Riesling GG - VDP.Weingut Peter Lauer

This "Grosses Gewächs" from VDP.Weingut Peter Lauer grows in the prime section of the Ayler Kupp - the middle part of the slope, with a sixty-eight percent gradient and full south-facing exposure, making it the steepest and warmest spot on the mountain. Planted in 1956 by Peter Lauer I on newly acquired parcels, today Riesling vines with almost seventy years on the stock stand here; at this age, the vines have found a very calm balance. The yield remains consistently low, which brings depth and concentration to the grapes. The Kupp is an icon of the Saar, characterized by fine Devonian slate, which imparts its unmistakable freshness, salinity, and its distinctive, powerful minerality to the Riesling.

In the glass, it presents itself in a bright, luminous straw yellow. On the nose, a clear, precise bouquet unfolds: yellow apple, white peach, a hint of citrus zest, and ripe slate spice - that typical Saar blend of stone, herbs, and a delicate smoke. On the palate, the wine is finely spicy, smooth, and unusually juicy, supported by a ripe, mild acidity and a powerful mineral-saline structure. The finish is long, clear, and effortlessly elegant.

The grapes are harvested exclusively by hand at the beginning of October and pressed whole cluster, with a short maceration period for more aromatic depth. Fermentation occurs spontaneously with natural wild yeasts from the vineyard; subsequently, the wine matures for about seven months on its fine lees in wooden barrels, with regular bâtonnage for more smoothness and texture. Developed in a dry style and bottled unfined, the Kupp GG retains its unmistakable identity: a Saar Riesling that uncompromisingly carries its fine slate and the maturity of its old vines.

A VDP.Grosses Gewächs of exceptional class - give it time in the glass; with a few years of bottle aging, it reveals its full complexity.