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2017 Ayler Auslese Auktion [30 18]
£79.67 per Bottle
£478.01 per Case
£65.00 per Bottle
£390.00 per Case
Bottle - 75cl
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‘This small traditional Saar wine producer in Ayl bottles some of the finest, most classic Rieslings in Germany: pure, precise, piquant, racy, mineral and chiselled, but also ripe, concentrated, compact and complex.’ (Stephan Reinhardt, The Finest Wines of Germany).
From relative obscurity when he took over more than fifteen years ago, Florian Lauer has elevated this estate to one of the foremost in Germany.
Florian is one of the most thoughtful winemakers we have in our portfolio. He is an independent spirit – studying winemaking at Montpelier in southern France rather than in Geisenheim, for example – but he is no maverick. He has a strong interest in science, and is always ready with a detailed and fascinating explanation of his practices.
Early on he decided to have as little adverse impact on the environment as he could, but did not apply for organic certification. Although he uses no herbicides, he abhors copper – pretty much the only weapon in the organic arsenal against fungus – for its harmful long-term effects on vineyard soils. Instead he employs an organic ‘curative’ fungicide, which reduces the amount of required treatments by half, thereby further lowering the environmental cost. His fertiliser is organic, sourced from local cattle and horse farms, and he has upgraded his agricultural machines to be as light as possible to avoid soil compaction.
In the cellar, only wild yeasts are used, and the wines are not fined. His corks are carbon neutral, and he does not use capsules – further reducing his carbon footprint. He derives most of his power from solar energy, and all estate vehicles are now electric. And finally, his cartons are reusable, and require no tape to seal.
Florian’s primary goal is for his wines to reflect the place where the grapes were grown. As such, he vinifies each parcel with different soils separately, even from within the same vineyard. To taste them is to see just how transparent a wine can be. It helps that he has very old vines of up to 100 years, and as you would expect, the wines are vibrant, pure and very exciting.
In the cool, damp Saar valley, a vintage like 2022 used to be a rarity, but as the climate changes, sunny and very dry years are becoming more common – both 2018 and 2020 followed the same patterns. 2022 was even more extreme, with more sunshine and less rainfall than any vintage in the last twenty years.
On the plus side, low moisture levels on leaves and grapes meant that the vines enjoyed the best of health, and plant treatments were barely necessary during the growing season. 2022 can therefore be considered one of the most ecological vintages of the last 40 years – purely natural growth without human intervention!
The downside was the damage the drought did to the vines: they shut down in August and ripening slowed, but even this proved to be a benefit, as there is no overripe baked character, acidity was preserved, and sugar levels are moderate, giving fresh balanced wines with great precision and energy. They are forward and extremely charming and have the intensity and balance to age well.
Showing the single result
£79.67 per Bottle
£478.01 per Case
£65.00 per Bottle
£390.00 per Case
Bottle - 75cl
+ Add item