LardotRiesling “der Bauer” 2022 (750ml)

Der Bauer, meaning “The Farmer,” is a single-vineyard Riesling harvested from seven small parcels ranging in size from 400 to 900 square meters in the vineyard Sankt Aldegunder Himmelreich. Throughout the seven parcels the vines are all ungrafted and range in age, but most were planted after WWII in the 1950s and 60s. One of these parcels dates to pre-war, though the records detailing the planting dates were destroyed during the war. It is roughly estimate that these vines are 100 years old. Sankt Aldegunder Himmelreich is comprised of grey and blue slate, with its exposition being pure East.

The name der Bauer is a nod to the people of the village of Sankt Aldegund, as this village is one of the few that rejected the modernization and expansion that occurred in this part of the mosel between the 1980s-2000s that implemented roads, removed dry-wall terraces, and replanted ungrafted vines with grafted. It is because of these villagers’ resistance that they are able to farm these ungrafted vines today. The vineyards are also interspersed with small orchards and vegetable gardens, creating a healthy polyculture, unlike the stark monoculture seen in much of the Mosel. Der Bauer, “The Farmer,” seemed only fitting.

Crushed and macerated overnight before pressing, fermentation in barrel on full lees, one rack barrel-to-barrel off of full lees onto fine lees after 18 months, bottled after 22 months of ageing in barrique and tonneau.