Peter Lauer ‘No. 15’ Stirn Riesling feinherb - Saar, Germany
Producer's Notes:
This off-dry Riesling is from a site on the top of a high elevation hill which sees very little water and has very little soil, subject to high winds. The grapes here have to struggle to grow, resulting in low yields which produce high-quality fruit with a rich, tropical profile. This wine has a bright acidity that balances the residual sugar. A complex and interesting wine that expresses the terroir of the hill upon which it is grown.
What we say:
Taut, soaring and beautifully precise, ‘Stirn’ is one of Lauer’s most distinctive vineyard expressions, offering a nervy, high-energy take on off-dry Riesling. It opens with lifted aromatics of lime, green apple and white peach, layered with acacia, herbs and a pronounced slate-driven minerality. There’s a subtle floral and smoky edge, but the wine always feels tightly coiled rather than overtly fruity.
The palate is electric and finely structured, combining vivid acidity with a modest level of residual sugar (typically around 30–40 g/L) that never reads as sweet thanks to the wine’s intensity and grip. The texture is sleek and almost weightless, yet there’s real density beneath the surface, finishing long, saline and razor-sharp with a lingering citrus and mineral echo.
Sourced from the exposed upper slopes of the Ayler Kupp, where thin, rocky slate soils and constant wind stress the vines, this site produces wines of remarkable tension and linearity. Fermentation and élevage are handled with a light touch (often including large-format or neutral vessels), allowing the site’s raw, mineral character to take centre stage.
Grape Variety: Riesling
Style: White – Off-dry (feinherb), light to medium-bodied, intensely mineral
Drink Window: Now – 15+ years
Perfect For: Spicy cuisine, pork, shellfish, or contemplative sipping
One of the Saar’s most compelling Rieslings - nervy, precise and quietly profound, with a rare balance of sweetness, acidity and mineral tension.
