Peter Lauer, Saar (Germany) Riesling 2018

 Lightly off-dry and beautifully focused, this Riesling leans towards peach flavors interlaced with pear and orange, plus a delicate hint of licorice and a dash of saline minerality.  On the finish the wine’s fresh, delicate sweetness segues into cleansing tartness. The Ayler Kupp Vineyard is in the Saar (a tributary of the Mosel), and its incline is so steep that all work is done by hand.  No insecticides, pesticides or fertilizers are used here, nor is copper because of concern about the copper build-up in many organic vineyards (and the impact of copper on microorganisms in the soil).  In Lauer’s cellar, the only interventions are temperature control, clarification prior to fermentation, and battonage.  No fining agents are used.