“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.