Address
316 West Geer St, Suite A, Durham, NC 27701
Hours
Mon. Closed
Tue. - Thu. 11am - 9pm
Fri. & Sat. 11am - 10pm
Sun. 11am - 8pm
Downtown Durham's neighborhood bottle shop and wine bar offering curbside pickup, local delivery, and shipping to 43 states.
Free Delivery throughout the Triangle
with a $89.99 Minimum Order
Durham, Chapel Hill, Raleigh, Hillsborough, and Cary
We cannot ship to ND, SD, NH, UT, MS, PA, or KY. email info@louelladurham.com for shipping
Mosel Fine Wines |
The 2019er Ayler Kupp Unterstenberg Riesling Fass 12 comes from this prime Lieu-Dit forming the south-southwest facing, front part of the original Kupp hill, and was fermented down to just above legally dry levels of residual sugar (9 g/l). If offers a gorgeous nose made of ginger, elderflower, grapefruit, pear, blue berried fruits, gooseberry, herbs, and minerals. The wine develops quite some Schmelz and tartness on the softly creamy |
“Unterstenberg” can be translated, roughly, as “under the mountain” – the “unter” being “under,” the “berg” translating to “mountain.” And indeed when you click the map to the left, you see the white rectangle denoting the vineyard, there at the base, the bottom, of the Kupp.
The location of this vineyard shapes absolutely everything about the wine; everything runs down the mountain after all. Thus the Unterstenberg is one of the few sites that rarely lacks for water, even in drier years. The vineyard’s location means it is also the final resting place for most of the fine, weathered slate and soil that has been washed down over the centuries. The larger rock, unable to be moved by water, remains up top, while Unterstenberg has a relatively deep, mineral-rich soil. The water and the soil mean that this is a rather vigorous site; the growth here can be explosive. Finally, the site’s location at the bottom, nearing the valley, means that there can be some botrytis down here, though of course Florian will select most of this out.
What does this mean for the wine itself? It tends to be one of the broadest and most powerful of Lauer’s dry wines. Because of the ample water, it has a mineral expression that is multifaceted, complex, deep. Interestingly, Unterstenberg is one of the few Lauer wines that has changed its signature dramatically at times; in the late 2000s the wine tended to be rather “Feinherb” in style. Since 2012, for reasons unknown to Florian, the wine has been fermenting closer to dry, having a “dry tasting” style not dissimilar to “Senior.”
For vintage 2019, the wine fermented down to an unprecedented 9 grams per liter, basically dry, though the “schmelz” (fat) that the Mosel Fine Wine boys note is indeed persistent and noticeable, making the wine feel dry, yet glazy and sorta serpentine. Honestly, I find their tasting note spot-on for this wine – ginger, blue-fruit notes, dark glycerin-rich spices notes and a brooding, sorta inward-looking spirit that makes me think this is still protean and when it does evolve and show itself, holy ****. But some patience required for now. I’ve had the wine on day 3 and it’s still primal and coiled up.
LouElla is Downtown Durham's neighborhood bottle shop, bar, and event space offering curated wine, craft beer, and fortified selections from family operated producers. The business takes its name and mission from owner and proprietor Campbell Davis's Great Aunt LouElla who was much beloved for her warmth, hospitality, and generous spirit. Whether we are serving you at the bar or helping you pick that perfect bottle to host your celebration, our mission is to share LouElla's hospitality with the community.
Campbell Davis
Owner & Manager
For Cam Davis, LouElla is the culmination of more than 20 years of experience in the hospitality and beverage industry. Cam has successfully managed some of Durham’s finest locally and nationally recognized establishments, including Hutchin's Garage, Guglhupf, Rue Cler, and Durham Catering Company. He brings a wealth of wine and beverage knowledge, not only from his extensive restaurant experience, but also from his tenure as Durham Sales Manager for wine distributor Bordeaux, Fine and Rare.
Hours
Mon. Closed
Tue. - Thu. 11am - 9pm
Fri. & Sat. 11am - 10pm
Sun. 11am - 8pm