Ayl SCHONFELS Riesling dry "Barrel 11" GG

The Schonfels "Fass 11" from Peter Lauer is a Riesling that shows what hundred-year-old vines can extract from Saar slate: mineral depth, tension, and a fruitiness that is not intrusive.

The Peter Lauer winery in Ayl on the Saar is one of the most reliable addresses for great German Riesling. The Schonfels single vineyard provides grapes from vines that are partly over 100 years old – roots that reach deep into the weathered slate. Fermentation takes place spontaneously in the traditional Mosel fuder, the large wooden barrel that gives the wine oxygen without leaving behind woody aromas.

In the glass, a Riesling with a clear structure appears: flint and dark spice form the mineral backbone, accompanied by ripe aromas of yellow stone fruit and dried apricot. The acidity is precise and invigorating, the finish long with a salty aftertaste. Vinified dry, but with the fullness that old vines provide.

Drinking temperature: 10–12 °C. At the table, it pairs well with zander fillet on beurre blanc, aged Comté, or white asparagus with hollandaise sauce.