Readers of this column, please tell me why you aren’t drinking more (or any) Riesling. Wine writers (including myself), sommeliers, and most other wine professionals have touted the virtues of this wine for decades. But sales data show Riesling is still at best an afterthought for wine consumers.
Still, the wines are special, with the ability to combine luscious fruit with bracing acidity into a restorative elixir. Typically, they are light but full flavored and low (sometimes quite low) in alcohol. And top German Rieslings can be some of the longest lived wines anywhere. So, I am determined to persist in my advocacy. And yet I can think of some reasons why consumers are skeptical.
Part of the problem is the misconception Riesling is always sweet. “It’s too sweet”, I often hear. For many years, sweet wines were big sellers in this country and there was plenty of simple, cheap Riesling. Now, many drinkers think all sweet wines are inferior quality to dry wines. That’s never been true and I’ll try again to convince you of that.
“What, you mean it can be dry, too?” With that one, I think many American consumers just have no idea what to expect. Ironically, dry (or at least off-dry) is the most common style of Riesling around the world.
And when it comes to German Riesling, the subject of this column, there are additional challenges. And it begins with the labels. There is a lot of valuable but hard to decipher information. And it’s not always easy to discern which rieslings are dry and which have some degree of sweetness (though some have taken to including a scale on the back label showing where the wine lands from dry to sweet).
Let me give you some tips to increase the probability of picking a quality wine – designated on the label as Qualiätswein. This indicates a wine from an officially sanctioned grape; grown in one of the 13 designated wine regions; and has passed the official quality wine test.
Another helpful indicator of quality is the classification model of the VDP, a national association of nearly 200 wineries committed to the highest quality. While not part of the official German wine law and admitting excellent wine is available from nonmembers, its eagle logo on a bottle does signal the wine is from a seriously quality minded estate. At the tip of the quality pyramid is the “Grosse Lage” (Great Site – equivalent of Grand Cru in France) designation of a highest quality vineyard.
If you are interested in the traditional “fruity” style (this style is my favorite) look for Qualitätswein mit Prädikat or Prädikatswein on the label. This indicates a wine made with grapes harvested at legally determined ripeness levels producing special characteristics, namely a naturally occurring balance of sweetness and acidity. There are six levels; three are reviewed here. Each of the wines below is from a Grosse Lage (great vineyard).
Kabinett. Fine, light wines from ripe grapes usually slightly sweet with low alcohol
- 2018 Schloss Johannisberg Rotlack ($42) ripe, rich, expressive, graceful
- 2018 Maximin Grünhäus Bruderberg ($38) balanced, elegant, lush, intense
- 2018 Dr. Loosen Ürziger Würzgarten ($28) spicy, earthy, juicy, intense, zesty,
- 2018 Fritz Haag Brauneberger Juffer ($26) fine, delicate, mineral, lush, bracing
- 2018 Dr. Loosen “Blue Slate” ($22) fresh, juicy, stony
Spätlese. Very ripe, elegant with ripe fruit from later harvest; more intense in flavor and concentration andusually sweeter
- 2018 Schloss Johannisberg Grunlack ($60) bright, delicate, spicy, lush
- 2018 Maximin Grünhäus Herrenberg ($50) dense, piercing, mineral, opulent, tropical
- 2018 Fritz Haag Brauneberger Juffer ($34) concentrated, mineral, sleek, firm, herbal
- 2018 Dr. Loosen Erdener Treppchen ($34) red slate, well built, minerals
Auslese. Exceptional sweet wines from fully ripe, botrytis-affected (also known as noble rot) grapes; best as dessert; all are 375ml bottles
- 2018 Robert Weil Kiedrich Gräfenberg ($164) exuberant, mineral, layered, amazing intensity, piquant, lush, generous, precise, elegant, rich,
- 2017 Dr. Loosen, Ürziger Würzgarten ($64) tropical, rich, spicy, intense, mineral, elegant, herbal, succulent
- 2018 Fritz Haag Brauneberger Juffer Sonnenuhr ($56) luscious but structured, luxurious
The super sweet, super rare and super expensive “Beerenauslese”, “Trockenbeerenauslese” and “Eiswein” categories are not covered in this column.
I love the Prädikat wines, but it is the dry wines (“trocken” on the label) that are creating the most attention these days. However, there is a challenge for consumers as they can taste austere upon release compared to the soft, broad white wines we typically taste in the U.S. So, often, they require the patience of at least a few years to integrate, something that we consumers usually don’t have the patience for. Although they are worth the weight, luckily, the wines in my tasting present as more friendly for early consumption, which is consistent with reports about the 2018 vintage.
At the peak of quality are the Grosses Gewächs, wines from Grosse Lage sites (often in special bottles embossed with the “GG” grape logo). An important feature of GGs is that naturally high acidity provides the foundation for remarkable aging potential. The wines below are bracing, fruitful, and firm with dramatic impact at first tasting. Interestingly, they were slightly different but even better the next day I tasted them. Mainly because the acidity had resolved a bit and allowed intense fruit to emerge.
- 2018 Schloss Johannisberg Silberlack ($90) powerful yet balanced, pure, concentrated, refined
- 2018 Maximin Grünhäus Abtsberg ($70) delicate frame yet a rich, complex fresh fruit with herb and mineral profile, generous
- 2017 Dr. Loosen, Wehlener Sonnenuhr “Alte Reben” ($54) from old vines, focused, refined and fresh
The following trocken wines are more friendly and approachable, displaying vibrant structure balanced with elegance.
- 2018 Robert Weil Kiedrich Turmberg ($55) from an Erste Lage (or premier vineyard), intense, refined, definitive, juicy, stony, elegant, spice, mineral, graceful, luscious
- 2018 Wittmann Niersteiner ($34) from an Erste Lage, vibrant, supple, intense, lithe, rich
- 2018 Wittmann Riesling Estate ($20) bright, elegant, stony, forceful
- 2018 Robert Weil ($20) intense, tangy, herbal, mineral
- 2018 Fritz Haag ($20) brisk, delicate, mineral
- 2018 Dr. Loosen Red Slate ($18) floral, spicy
- Fritz Haag Braunberger Tradition ($20) feinherb, delicate, light, fresh
- Robert Weil Tradition ($20) moderately sweet, fruity, lively
At the risk of adding to the confusion, I also really enjoyed several off-dry or semi-dry or semi-sweet wines (depending on your taste sensitivities). See what I mean. Two were labeled “feinherb” (meaning off-dry) and two were labeled “Tradition” but such labeling is optional. You may also see the term halbtrocken, a regulated term meaning half dry.
- Maximin Grünhaus Abstberg Superior ($64) beautifully medium-dry, juicy, mineral, herbal, firm
- 2018 Schloss Johannisberg Gelblack ($35) feinherb, delightfully accessible sweet/ tart with mineral tinge
- 2018 Fritz Haag Braunberger Tradition ($20) feinherb, delicate, fine mineral, fresh
- 2018 Robert Weil Tradition ($20) moderately sweet, delicate, fruity, lively
Ultimately, my message is these wines are so good the challenges shouldn’t keep you from enjoying them.