2022 Emil Bauer Sex Drugs & Rock’n Roll. Just Riesling For Me Thanks!
Wine Profile & Character
Emil Bauer & Söhne’s playfully titled “Sex Drugs & Rock’n Roll” bottling is a study in contrast — a modern label wrapped around fruit sourced from some of the Pfalz‘s more serious sites, in and around the villages that ring the Haardt mountains. The vineyards here sit on the classic Mittelhaardt patchwork of weathered sandstone, loess-loam, and pockets of limestone, soils that retain warmth from the Palatinate Forest’s rain shadow while allowing roots to dig deep for mineral tension. This is not a wine built on single-vineyard austerity but rather on a philosophy of accessible, estate-driven quality: fruit is farmed with an eye toward ripeness and generosity, then vinified with restraint to preserve the region’s inherent structural backbone. The result honors both the irreverence of its branding and the seriousness of its Pfalz pedigree.
On the nose, the wine opens with orchard fruit — ripe yellow apple, white peach, and a whisper of lime blossom — layered over a subtle spice reminiscent of white pepper. The palate is where the Pfalz signature emerges: a fuller, rounder mid-palate than one finds in the Mosel or Rheingau, carried by ripe stone fruit and a gentle waxy texture, yet kept honest by a streak of citrus-tinged acidity that runs through the core. Mineral undertones — wet stone, chalk dust — surface mid-palate and extend into a finish that balances flesh with grip, never allowing the wine to feel flabby or one-dimensional.
2022 was a vintage of generous ripeness balanced by enough diurnal swing to preserve acidity, and this wine reflects that duality — approachable now, but with enough structural spine to reward two or three years in bottle. Over that time, expect the primary fruit to recede slightly in favor of textural depth and a more pronounced mineral expression, as the wine settles into a more classically Pfalz dry Riesling profile. This is a bottle designed for enjoyment in its youth, but it will not fall apart with modest patience.
Sourced Profile
Compiled from producer and published descriptions, not a firsthand tasting by our team.
Appearance: Pale straw-gold with a faint greenish glint at the rim; brilliant clarity.
Aromas & Bouquet: Ripe yellow apple, white peach, and lime blossom lead, framed by a light dusting of white pepper and beeswax. Underneath, a mineral whisper of wet stone hints at the sandstone-loam terroir. Aeration reveals a touch of ripe quince.
Palate & Structure: Full-bodied and rounded for a dry Riesling, with a waxy, almost silken texture across the mid-palate. Ripe stone fruit and citrus pith interplay with chalky minerality, while a firm acid spine keeps the wine taut and refreshing rather than heavy. Flavors evolve from fruit-forward to increasingly saline and mineral through the back half.
Finish & Longevity: Medium-to-long, with lingering salinity and a light phenolic grip that frames the finish without bitterness. A faint citrus-pith echo persists.
Food Pairings
Pairs beautifully with roasted chicken in a lemon-herb glaze, where the wine's acidity and fruit complement the caramelized skin. Equally suited to Thai green curry or other moderately spicy Southeast Asian dishes, where its texture cools the palate. Try it also with a creamy Alsatian tarte flambée or a wedge of aged Gouda for a study in contrasting richness and cut.
Cellaring & Ageability
Drink now through 2028, with peak enjoyment in the first two to three years for maximal fruit expression. Extended cellaring will shift the profile toward mineral and textural complexity, though this is fundamentally a wine built for near-term pleasure.