2022 Lauer Riesling Grand Cru Stirn No. 15

“Stirn” can be translated, roughly, as “forehead” — Stirn is indeed the “forehead” of the hillside, with a brutal micro-climate. Because of the incline of the site, there is rarely much water here, even in wet years. The vines’ roots must go deep for any water, pushing through the thick bedrock of slate. 

What does this mean for the wine itself? Stirn tends to be one of the most nervous, linear and soaring of all of Lauer’s wines. It rarely ferments much past 30 grams of residual sugar per liter, thus it certainly is an off-dry Riesling. And yet, because of the extraordinarily high acidity (and low pH), the wine never tastes very sweet.

According to our importer, "I believe this is one of Florian’s – and one of the Saar’s – most profound expressions of Riesling."