We offered the exquisite still Rieslings of Peter Lauer a few months ago, which are the wines that the estate is most known for. However, they also has a long history of making traditional method sparkling wines, as well. Known as Sekt in Germany, sparkling wines made in the same method as Champagne from Riesling grapes are tremendously popular in their home country, and Lauer's version is one of the best. The estate has been making Sekt since 1984, and the crystal clear purity of fruit seen in the still Riesling cuvées shines through like a brilliant diamond in the bubbly version. Made from 100% Riesling from many of Lauer's best vineyard sites and aged on the lees for 25 months before disgorgement, this is the perfect combination of Riesling's signature zippy citrus fruits, white flowers, and stony minimality with the toasty and slightly creamy notes we all know and love in classic Champagne. The result is a wine that can only be described as delightful and is the perfect salve to these dog days of summer. Lauer makes very little of their sparkling wine, and we only get one minuscule drop once a year, so make sure you snag an allocation while you can!
And in case you missed it, here is what we had to say about Peter Lauer and the estate last time we offered the wines: "Peter Lauer catapulted to cult status in the last two decades, and Riesling collectors snap them up with lightning speed each year. Located specifically in the Saar subregion of the Mosel, Lauer farms his steep, old vines right next to the Mosel's most famous name, Egon Muller. Lauer's focus is to make fresh, ethereal wines with prickly acid that dances on the palate and perfectly matches the delicate residual sugar. Each vineyard and parcel is bottled separately to ensure the underlying terroir is fully expressed, and the numbers on the bottle indicate the individual foudre the wine was matured in. All the wines are meticulously made, with surprising variability between the different bottlings, and they all deliver major complexity and flavor at an astoundingly affordable price point. These are balanced, textural, precise, and crystalline examples of Saar Riesling that reflect the incredible diversity of Mosel terroir, and the new 2022s are nothing short of outstanding."
