“Barrel X” is winemaker Florian Lauer’s Platonic ideal of what a slightly off-dry (feinherb) Saar Riesling should be. If we were in Burgundy, this would be the equivalent of a “Bourgogne Blanc.” As an appellation-level wine, it is sourced from multiple vineyards in four different villages of the Saar: Ayl (Lauer’s home village), Saarburg, Wawern and Wiltingen. Florian says, “From Ayl and Wawern, the wine gains the fruit and power, from Saarburg the racy acidity, and from Wiltingen, the spice.”
Regardless of what comes from where, this much is certain: dollar for dollar, I’m not sure there is a 750ml bottle that delivers as much joy and zing. This is the gateway drug to Lauer, to the Saar, to Riesling… be careful. Very addictive.
-Importer notes (Vom Boden)
he 2022 Chablis Grands Terroirs comes from the usual three parcels. The nose offers yellow plum and verbena, touches of chalk emerging with aeration. The palate has real "zing" on the entry, sharp and pointed, taut and linear, revivifying the senses with ...
This is always one of my favorite wines. I honestly can’t say what it is specifically I love about it. It’s a bit grander and more elegant, more crystalline than the Felsenfest… yet there is something still delicate and easy about it. It’s so, so, so serious, but also clear and easy to drink. I love this wine.