The early trip to Germany in March or April is a necessary evil, in a way.
As an importer you feel like you have to know how the vintage is sizing up. Yet what you taste (really) in these early months is the vague trace of what the wines might be, or could be. It’s a bit like interviewing a four-year-old for a few minutes and then being asked to assess what their SAT score will be in a decade.
It’s a tricky business, as much an art as a science (if not just total nonsense).
For reasons that I’ll explain in an updated vintage report (to be published soon), I think I under-valued the 2022 vintage. Some of this is what I’ll call “greatness fatigue.” Fatigue not only after the truly epic vintage 2021 with all its superlatives, but after years and years of constant email offers, Instagram posts, all of them touting “the greatest” this or that, proclaiming another 99- or 100-point wine with big bold type and exclamation points.
I guess I just wanted a reset – some real talk.
I did everything I could not to use the word “great” in describing 2022. I reported what I thought was vital and central to the wines of this vintage, which was joy and lightness and energy. Read the full text here.
Yet I spent the last month in Germany, not only tasting with everyone again, but in many cases lazily drinking with these people again – not assessing, but enjoying, thinking reflectively and quietly about all these wines.
I had two realizations. First, I think the vintage is much more serious than I first reported. Everything I wrote still holds – the wines are lightness and joy incarnate – but I think they can also be in some cases quite serious.
My second realization was that Florian Lauer’s collection is absolutely astounding; for me personally it might be my favorite collection he’s ever made. It’s just the extreme lightness, their ethereal quality.
Not to get too geeky, but it may have something to do with the acidities. 2021, while ferociously acidic, had high amounts of malic acid. When doing natural and slow ferments, as Lauer does, it’s possible and even probable that certain barrels went through malolactic, giving the wines a creamier texture and lowering the feel of the acid. 2022, in comparison, had very low amounts of malic acid. Thus any malolactic conversions that occurred didn’t really change the shape of the wines; they remain uncannily sharp, incisive, linear, agile.
If 2021 at Lauer is a rocket ship, thundering forward with weight and momentum, 2022 is an arrow, weightless and cutting with a razor-sharp point.
It’s quite possible that in 20 years, the 2021ers from Lauer will embarrass the 2022ers – the monuments standing tall next to the feather-weight sculptures of 2022. It’s possible, but I just don’t know.
Regardless, for the next five to ten years and more, the 2022ers simply have an edge; they are more crystalline, more multifaceted, sharper, lighter, more explosive and energetic.
This is an aesthetic, and maybe it’s not for everyone. But holy hell, if this general description sounds delicious to you, then these wines are going to make your palates explode.
Anyway, the truth is we hardly need to “sell” these wines, but I did want to honestly report how I’m feeling about this collection and this vintage.
And, as chance would have it, the collection has just arrived! I’ve been spending so much time in Germany I’m behind on my German wine offers. Sorry about that.
For trade, please let us know what you’d like and we’ll do our best. Please note: NO ORDER IS GUARANTEED WITHOUT A CONFIRMATION EMAIL FROM US! You will be expected to take your order as soon as you can or by the end of September, whichever comes first. If you can take your allocation in August we’ll send you a free vom Boden 10th anniversary poster or a box of cookies or something nice.
For consumers, let us know what you are interested in and we can connect you with a retailer in your area who is supporting the wines!
Email us at orders@vomboden.com to order.
the 2022er Lauer collection
the wines have just arrived – all orders subject to confirmation
village level
2022 Lauer Ayler Village Level No. 25 Trocken ~$29 (screwcap)
Think of this as a dry “Barrel X” – it’s the village-level dry wine sourced from two sites (Scheidterberg and Rauberg) that circle around the backside of the village. Historically a bit chilly, these sites are now coming into a glorious place – the jaw-dropping quality of “Barrel X” is a testament to these sites. For 2022 this is cut and clear and vigorous with a pronounced acidity (nearly 8 grams?) – old-school Saar!
From Mosel Fine Wines, Issue No. 66: “The 2022er Ayler Riesling No. 25 is a dry wine (with 6 g/l of residual sugar) made from fruit picked on the Scheidterberg and Rauberg side hills. It offers a very herbal and minty nose of wild spices, blackberry, licorice, yuzu, smoke, aniseed, and hot spices. The wine is light-weighted and very spicy on the linear and finely creamy palate. The feeling of acidity is on the lower side, but this is balanced out by mineral, spicy, and salty elements. The finish is nicely dry, broad, and medium long.”
2022 Lauer Ayler Village Level No. 1 Trocken/Feinherb ~$32 (screwcap)
Another village level off-dry, this is sourced from various parcels on the “Grand Cru” Kupp – as such this is more the equivalent of “Senior.” This is a “Grand Cru” wine declassified and sold at village-level pricing. This tends to be a bit deeper and broader-shouldered than the Fass 4; it has more mineral complexity and more depth.
From Mosel Fine Wines, Issue No. 66: “The 2022er Ayler Riesling No. 1 is an off-dry wine (with 14 g/l of residual sugar) made from fruit harvested on the east-facing side of the main Ayler Kupp hill. Quite smoky and herbal at first, it offers a rather opulent and rich nose of almond cream, toffee, yellow peach, rosemary, and candied lime. The wine starts off on the fruity and light side, yet it gains in presence and structure as it evolves. The finish is delicately smooth and broad, with plenty of spices and still a hint of tartness in need of integration. It needs a little bit of time to find its right balance and fully deliver. This is a good off-dry Riesling.”
2022 Lauer Ayler Village Level No. 3 Feinherb ~$32 (screwcap)
From Mosel Fine Wines, Issue No. 66: “The 2022er Ayler Riesling No. 3 is a fully off-dry wine (with 31 g/l of residual sugar) made from fruit picked in the front, east-facing part of the original Kupp hill, in the upper section near Stirn. It offers an attractive nose of green apple, grapefruit, lime, earthy spices, rosemary, minty, and white pepper. It has a great juicy and zesty structure and leaves a nicely long and fresh, spicy, and straight finish.”
Grand Cru
2022 Lauer Grand Cru “Unterstenberg” ~$48 (under cork)
Over the 15+ years I’ve been closely following Florian’s wines the Unterstenberg (sourced from the lower part of the Kupp mountain, “unter” the “berg”) has shed sugar, from a bit under 20, to then 15 and even lower. The wine is completely dry for 2022 at around 9 grams residual sugar. I love it in this dry / drier form, with the schmaltzy, glycerin depth of the mid-palate emphasized and defined by the acidity’s cut and lift.
From Mosel Fine Wines, Issue No. 66: “The 2022er Unterstenberg No. 12, as it is referred to in the central part of the label, is a dry wine (with 8 g/l of residual sugar) made from fruit picked in the similarly-named prime Lieu-Dit forming the south-southwest facing, front part of the original Kupp hill (at the foot of the hill). It has a beautifully complex and smoky nose of candied lime, grapefruit zest, smoky bacon, ginger, almond, yuzu, and white flowers. The wine is superbly playful and refined on the palate, where some light creamy and juicy elements make for an appealing touch. The finish is beautifully spicy and herbal and already fully dry.”
2022 Lauer Grand Cru “Kern” ~$48 (under cork)
“Kern” is named after the 19th-century industrialist that cleared this more-western part of the Kupp; it is a small parcel that spans the entire top-to-bottom reach of the Kupp. Thus, for me, the wine always has something of the lift and rigor of “Stirn” and something of the depth of wines like “Neuenberg” and “Unterstenberg.” The vines are old here, well over 70-years-old, so the wine has some stuffing. It is most often well in that off-dry style, yet, with Lauer, it’s always about the balance.
From Mosel Fine Wines, Issue No. 66: “The 2022er ‘Kern’ No. 9, as it is referred to in the central part of the label, is a fully off-dry wine (with 33 g/l of residual sugar) made from fruit picked in a complete cross section (bottom to top) of a prime south-west-facing old-vine parcel (called Kern) situated well into the side valley on the original Ayler Kupp hill. It offers a beautifully refined and herbal nose of wild spices, orange blossom, mint, lime, and white pepper, as well as slightly riper notes of vineyard peach candied grapefruit, and almond. The wine is superbly playful on the elegantly zesty and spicy palate. The finish proves energetic, refined, and straight. The after-taste is already dryish in style. This is a great just off-dry tasting Riesling.”
2022 Lauer Grand Cru “Stirn” ~$50 (under cork)
For me, always one of Lauer’s most angelic, soaring wines. Sourced from the top of the Kupp mountain, the vines here are battered by the wind and there is little soil and little water; it is a struggle up here. The wine, however, shows just a soaring tension, an amazing linearity. I love this damn wine.
From Mosel Fine Wines, Issue No. 66: “The 2022er ‘Stirn’ No.15, as it is referred to in the central part of the label, is a fully off-dry wine (with 36 g/l of residual sugar) made from fruit picked in the prime south-west-facing, upper-front part of the original Ayler Kupp hill. It reveals a fully aromatic and appealing nose of yellow fruits (pineapple, Conference pear, and quince), candied grapefruit, tangerine, green apple, anise, oriental spices, and smoke. The wine proves fully off dry on the palate as plenty of sweet and ripe fruits come through. The finish is structured and has more mineral elements with zesty and minty elements. This beautiful fully off-dry Riesling needs a few years to fully deliver.”
2022 Lauer Grand Cru “Neuenberg” ~$56 (under cork)
As with the “Unterstenberg,” the “Neuenberg” this year comes in close to dry and is one of the more curious wines Florian makes. It is sourced from a cherry parcel in the Grand Cru Kupp, one that sees the cool morning sun as well as the warmer afternoon sun and, situated as it is at the bottom of the slope, it can often have a bit of mist or fog lingering about. Sometimes there is just a touch of early botrytis that Florian will keep in the wine, adding to it a certain exotic textural component, glycerin polished down to its mineral core. It is a profound testament to what Lauer can do, what Riesling can do. It is also always one of the rarest wines.
From Mosel Fine Wines, Issue No. 66: “The 2022er Neuenberg No. 17, as it is referred to in the central part of the label, is a barely off-dry wine (with 12 g/l of residual sugar) made from fruit picked in this prime Lieu-Dit forming the south-southwest facing, central part of the original Kupp hill (at the foot of the hill). It offers a very aromatic and rich nose of William’s pear, smoke, anise, thyme, violet, lime tree, and cherry. The wine is both juicy but also directly zesty and spicy, with a touch of tartness and earthy spices. There is good presence and structure and the finish proves intense and broad. It is a great barely off-dry Riesling, which needs a few years to reveal its facets. It even has some upside potential with time.”
Prädikats
2022 Lauer Grand Cru Kupp Kabinett No. 8 ~$36 (under cork)
Absolutely nuts-o wine in 2022 – these are maybe the best Kabinetts Lauer has ever made? Which makes zero sense after 2021, I understand this, but still… it’s the lightness. And to prove just how absolutely nuts Lauer is, he made two Fuders of this wine and did not like the combined wine, so he is bottling them with separate AP numbers. Note: I have no idea what we’re getting and we are not going to make a stink about this – and you shouldn’t either. But what is beautiful about this is Lauer’s unwillingness to follow any ideology. Sometimes he finds blending casks better – sometimes not. And so here, two different Kabinetts.
From Mosel Fine Wines, Issue No. 66: “The 2022er Kupp Kabinett No. 8, as it is referred to in the central part of the label, was made from fruit harvested in the original Kupp hill and was fermented down to fruity-styled levels of residual sugar (49 g/l). Very smoky and herbal at first, but also slightly reductive, it reveals elegant and refined notes of white flowers, citrusy fruits, yuzu, anise, and white pepper. The wine is full of tension and spices in the comparatively off-dry and playful palate. The finish is herbal and nervy. This is a great drinking Kabinett with superb complexity.”
2022 Lauer Grand Cru Schonfels Kabinett No. 111 ~$56 (under cork)
This is only the second Kabinett Lauer has ever made from the Schonfels vineyard; interestingly, this is sleek and mineral AF but does have a cake-icing slickness to it. Psycho cut and grip though too. I don’t quite agree with the MFW boys about how it feels like a Spätlese but they are super-good tasters and are probably right.
From Mosel Fine Wines, Issue No. 66: “The 2022er Schonfels Kabinett No. 111, as it is referred to in the central part of the label, was made from fruit harvested in this steep, south-east facing Lieu-Dit overseeing the Saar, and was fermented down to fruity-styled levels of residual sugar (53 g/l). Initially quite herbal, this develops some riper and fruity notes of William’s pear, apricot, tangerine, quince, and almond cream. The wine also proves quite creamy and juicy on the fully fruity palate. This acts like a beautifully creamy Spätlese and, as such, is a great wine.”
2022 Lauer Grand Cru Kupp Spätlese No. 7 ~$42 (under cork)
Another bad-ass wine and one of the inspirations for our new campaign: “Spätlese is the new Kabinett.” I ask Florian how it’s selling. He says, “good,” and then adds this funny but honest line: “The Spätlese isn’t sweet here.” Seventy-four grams of residual sugar and it tastes almost dry. I don’t understand anything.
From Mosel Fine Wines, Issue No. 66: “The 2022er Kupp Spätlese No. 7, as it is referred to in the central part of the label, was made from fruit harvested in the whole original Kupp hill and was fermented down to sweet levels of residual sugar (74 g/l). Smoky and finely herbal on the nose, it delivers notes of anise, minty herbs, vineyard peach, jasmine, rose, lavender, and green apple. The wine proves delicately smooth and rich on the nicely compact and focused palate. The finish is precise, clean, and full of energy. This is a splendid Spätlese.”
2022 Lauer Grand Cru Kupp Auslese No. 10 375ml Half-Bottles ~$42 (under cork)
It’s the exquisite lightness of vintage 2022 that makes this angelic. Only ten cases for the U.S. so go crazy.
From Mosel Fine Wines, Issue No. 66: “The 2022er Kupp Auslese No. 10, as it is referred to in the central part of the label, was made from partially (15%) botrytized fruit harvested on the whole original Kupp hill and was fermented down to fully sweet levels of residual sugar (95 g/l). This offers a still very primary yet superbly complex and layered nose of bakery elements, almond cream, candied pineapple, coconut cream, aniseed, smoky bacon, and yellow flowers. The wine is superbly smooth and sweet on the comparatively light-weighted and delicate palate. The finish proves juicy and smooth, yet the after-taste brings freshness and liveliness as plenty of candied citrusy fruits kick in. This needs at least a decade to fully integrate its sweetness and fully shine.”
From the Estate’s Cellar
2010 Lauer Rauberg BA 375ml ~$125 a Half-Bottle (under cork)- JUST SILLY RARE
Every once in a while Lauer releases a few back-vintage wines, for fun. 2010 remains, for me, an absolute bonkers dessert-wine vintage – uncanny and unprecedented levels of everything. We have four cases of these available, first come first served? Perfectly cellared at the estate and only just pulled from the deep, dark cellar.
2010 Lauer Schonfels TBA 375ml ~$600 a Half-Bottle (under cork) – TOTALLY STUPID RARE
Only six half-bottles are available, just to be totally honest. As stated, 2010 remains, for me, an absolute bonkers dessert-wine vintage – uncanny and unprecedented levels of everything. Schonfels is one of Lauer’s greatest sites with 100+ year-old ungrafted vines. Drink this wine anytime between now and the end of the ****ing universe. Perfectly cellared at the estate and only just pulled from the deep, dark cellar.