It’s official: some wines are cults. Not weird, let’s all drink the kool aid type of cult, more like a kind of underground, quirky, cool, Twin Peaks type of cult. Obviously good, if you know what to look for, type of thing. Peter Lauer’s gorgeous, flavoursome Riesling “as refreshing as drinking pure spring water” is one such wine.

Located in the holy grail of growing regions - Germany’s Saar - Lauer is in good company. His neighbours include Egon Müller and Hanno Zilliken, yet unlike Muller’s sweet wines, Lauer’s seem to pop with brightness. What is similar however are the hallmarks which tend to underscore the region: rigour, purity and simple hard work. The estate dates back to 1913 and today is run by Peter’s grandson, Florian. It is Florian, who took the helm 2005, who is responsible for breathing life into his family’s Rieslings. Neither dry nor sweet, Florian has helped his family’s wine find their own balance. His modern touch is more textural, deeper and, some say, more masculine in taste. However, this is balanced with an energy that is singular.

Most common on restaurant wine lists is his entry-level Barrel X, and a very fine wine it is too - if you want a drink. However, for the savvy collector, attention is turned to his dry Grosses Gewächs Fass-numbered bottles. Expensive and rare (two buzzwords every wine investor likes to hear), very few cases are made, and even less exported (just 20-cases made it to the US in 2017). Named (sorry, numbered) after the barrels in which the wine was matured as well as the particular vineyard, these are Lauer’s cream of the Reisling crop. However, beware as a little poetic licence is applied; “Fass 6 – Senior” is based on a selection of fruit that was Florian’s grandfather’s favourite. On this barrel, he would write “Senior”, so, today, the wine from this parcel is called “Fass 6 – Senior.” The beauty of the Fass wine is, despite its lovely delicacy and reasonable price, ageing is well over a decade and shortage of product will play a part in pushing prices up.