Ayl SCHONFELS Riesling dry "Barrel 11" GG

Peter Lauer's Schonfels "Fass 11" is a Riesling that shows what hundred-year-old vines can achieve from Saar slate: mineral depth, tension and a fruit that does not impose itself.

The Peter Lauer winery in Ayl on the Saar River is one of the most reliable producers of great German Riesling. The single vineyard site of Schonfels yields grapes from vines that are sometimes over 100 years old – roots that reach deep into the weathered slate. Fermentation takes place spontaneously in the traditional Mosel fuder, the large wooden cask that oxygenates the wine without imparting any oak aromas.

In the glass, this Riesling reveals itself with a clear structure: flint and dark spice form the mineral backbone, complemented by ripe aromas of yellow stone fruit and dried apricot. The acidity is precise and invigorating, the finish long with a saline aftertaste. It is vinified dry, but with the richness that old vines impart.

Serving temperature: 10–12 °C . Drinking window: 2025–2033. At the table, it pairs well with pike-perch fillet on beurre blanc, aged Comté cheese, or white asparagus with hollandaise sauce.