White Wine

Riesling

A stunning variety made in a bewildering array of styles from crisp, dry to off-dry and incredibly sweet.

Beyond style, the variety has incredible ability to be consumed young or very old, producing some of the most long-lived white wines of any variety. The sweet German Rieslings also rate as some of the worlds most expensive.

Where is it grown?

In Europe we see plantings in Alsace, France, across many regions in Germany from the Mosel to the Rheinhessen and the Pfalz. Along with Grüner Veltinger, Riesling is widely planted in Austria.

In South Australia, the Clare Valley’s, Polish Hill and Watervale produce stunning Riesling. You’ll find great Riesling coming from the Eden Valley SA, Central Victoria, Canberra, Tasmania, and, from the Great Southern in WA.

There are some cracking Rieslings coming out of New Zealand too!

What does it taste like?

Fresher dry styles tend to have citrus aromas and flavours with floral blossoms. Riper styles introducing stone fruit.

From region to region winemaking changes from simple pressing of fruit and fermentation to dry in stainless steel to use of skin contact and maturation in oak. Layering in different textures and flavours.

Shifting gear to Germany and Alsace the game of balancing sugar, alcohol and acid comes into play. From dry 12.5-13% wines we shift to lower alcohol dry wines and then the freshest of the sweet wines, the Kabinett styles. Coming in with as little as 7.5% sugar the trick is achieving balance with higher acidity. From Kabinett we mover through an array of styles increasing in sweetness and alcohol, heading all the way to the very sweet botrytis style Trockenbeerenauslese & Icewein made from frozen grapes.

You can read more about the different styles of Riesling made in Germany in the Wine Bites Mag articles exploring Riesling.

Off-dry Riesling lends itself beautifully to pairing with many Asian foods. Aged, sweeter, botrytis styles are perfect with cheese and fresher fruit desserts. Fresh, citrus styles are perfect with seafood and lighter poultry.

2017 Riesling Sensations

Germany Dry

Delicious!

Wagner-Stempel Riesling Porphyr 2017

Riesling | Siefersheim, Germany

Beautifully balanced, it rests toward the acid side of the scales, with a touch less alcohol, taming rich luscious fruits. We often get seduced by opulence. Daniel's 2015's from sites yielding some of the ripest fullest fruit in the Rheinhessen certainly have such seduction. The 2016 Porphyr, beautifully balanced, it rests toward the acid side of the scales, with a touch less alcohol, taming rich luscious fruits. Such a sophisticated wine of great line and length.

$59

$56ea in any 3+

$53ea in any 6+

Wagner-Stempel Riesling Heerkretz 2017

Riesling | Rheinhessen, Germany

White peach, apple and lime are accented by their pits and pits as well as by raw almond on an enticing nose highly reminiscent of that exhibited by the corresponding 2016. Scents of Ceylon tea and spring beauty (Claytonia) add inner-mouth allure. The feel is flatteringly silken, notwithstanding the persistence of stimulating piquancy. Infectious juiciness, along with an invigoratingly tactile, active sense of crystalline stony impingement, dramatically sets this wine’s vibrant, bell-clear fin

$125

$120ea in any 3+

$115ea in any 6+

DRY

Clemens Busch Riesling Marienburg 1er Grosses-Gewächs ‘Fahrlay Terrasse’ 2017

Riesling | Mosel-Saar-Ruwer, Germany

The 2017 Marienburg Riesling Fahrlay Terrassen opens with a bright, very clear, fresh and stony bouquet of concentrated white fruits and lemon notes intertwined with crushed slate aromas. On the palate, this is a highly finessed and elegant Riesling from vines that are 100+ years old. This 2017 serves intensity, power and complexity in a subtle way. The wine has a subtle tannin grip that makes this like a white Pinot Noir. Salty and crunchy and highly finessed, this is a powerful but elegant and

$174

$167ea in any 3+

$160ea in any 6+

DRY

Clemens Busch Riesling Marienburg ‘Raffes’ 2017

Riesling | Mosel, Germany

The 2017 Pündericher Marienburg Riesling Raffes is the essence of gray slate. Bright in color and flavors but also intense and intermixed with lemon-fresh stony notes, this is a concentrated yet pure, fresh and finessed, highly intense and refined Riesling with great length and an endless finish. This is a powerful but Auslese-styled Riesling with concentration, finesse and lots of power but no alcoholic impression. The wine was bottled with 13% alcohol and almost nine grams of residual sugar.

$280

$270ea in any 3+

$260ea in any 6+

Germany Off-Dry

Max Ferdinand Richter Graacher Himmelreich Kabinett 2017

Riesling | Mosel-Saar-Ruwer, Germany

Seriously! How often to Graacher and Wehlener just come up with the goods. This is a superb Kabinett. It has that slide flinty, reductive edge, less so than Prüm's Graacher. Huge energy here with a sense of translucence somehow coming through over the divine fruits. Reminds me of Clemens Busch. It has incredible length, with a pinch of salt to finish. Refreshing, mouthwatering, succulent juice, just as a good Kabinett should be! From 70- to 80-year-old vines, the 2017 Graacher Himmelreich

$49

$47ea in any 3+

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Selbach Oster Wehlener Sonnenuhr Kabinett Riesling 2017

Riesling | Mosel-Saar-Ruwer, Germany

This is a beauty, graceful with a certain transparency to it. The freshness, combined with excellent depth and length is classic Kabinett. Like Max F Richter, the use of large old wood for fermentation and maturation harmonises the wine beautifully. A joy to devour! “Great Mosel Kabinett should be like drinking cool spring water; thirst quenching and delicious.” Johannes Selbach

$58

$55ea in any 3+

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Max Ferdinand Richter Brauneberger Juffer-Sonnenuhr Auslese 375ml 2017

Riesling | Mosel-Saar-Ruwer, Germany

Yes! Stunning gear. I think the guys from Mosel Fine Wines calling it and Auslese Lange GK style is bang on. Lange GK = Long Gold Capsule and reference to the Reserve of the Reserve wines in Aussie vernacular. Give this 10-20 years and you'll be climbing a stairway to heaven! The 2017er Brauneberger Juffer-Sonnenuhr Auslese was harvested at well over 110° Oechsle. It offers a very classy and elegant nose of apricot blossom, whipped cream, almond, smoke and fine herbs. The wine proves highly

$71

$68ea in any 3+

$65ea in any 6+

Only 70L Made!

Max Ferdinand Richter Wehlener Sonnenuhr Beerenauslese 375ml 2017

Riesling | Mosel-Saar-Ruwer, Germany

The 2017er Wehlener Sonnenuhr BA was harvested at a full 150° Oechsle. The wine proves still rather restrained yet already more than hints at gorgeous TBA-like notes of honey, raisin, baked spices, apple jelly, orange zest, toffee, and nut paste come through. These scents lead to stunningly creamy and honeyed notes including raisin, baked spices and apple jelly on the palate. A refreshingly acidity makes gives this superbly oily wine the great zesty side of an Eiswein (no wonder as this wine ha

$420

$405ea in any 3+

$390ea in any 6+

A.J.Adam Dhroner Hofberg Kabinett Riesling 2017

Riesling | Mosel-Saar-Ruwer, Germany

The guys from Mosel Fine Wines have nailed it! This is superb. When you listen to Andreas speak of the unique cooler climate of the site this all makes sense. Andreas and Barbara have achieved outstanding balance here. The vinosity with 8.5% alcohol is there, not always the case with young Rizza from this neck of the woods. The clean, refreshing acidity plays beautifully with the moderate residual sugar. Lythe with a divine set of flavours it's fantastic to see this a couple of years on and it w

$66

$63ea in any 3+

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A.J.Adam Dhroner Häs’chen Kabinett Riesling 2017

Riesling | Mosel-Saar-Ruwer, Germany

A fascinating comparison to the Hofberg. An edge of reduction a la Prüm's Graacher Kabinett on openning. A little more richness comes across here by comparision with the Hofberg. The balance and vinosity making for a complete wine loaded with personality. The MFW guys have nailed it. Chuck it in a decanter to get it moving! AP 11.18 The 2017er Dhroner Häs’chen Kabinett was harvested at 85° Oechsle. Still marked by residues of spontaneous fermentation at first, it delivers a gorgeou

$73

$70ea in any 3+

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A.J.Adam Dhroner Hofberg Spätlese Riesling 2017

Riesling | Mosel, Germany

AP 12.18 The 2017er Dhroner Hofberg Spätlese was harvested at 92° Oechsle in a prime parcel planted in the 1950s. It delivers a beautiful nose of whipped cream, vineyard peach, smoke, almond, earl grey and yellow plum. The wine offers great, almost concentrated presence on the mid-palate, yet a juicy and racy kick of acidity adds layers upon layers of freshness and intensity to the finish. This is a great success! 2027-2047 Jean Fisch & David Rayer, Mosel Fine Wines 94 Points

$93

$89ea in any 3+

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Markus Molitor Zeltinger Sonnenuhr Auslese** 2017

Riesling | Mosel-Saar-Ruwer, Germany

Gold Cap - Fruchtsüss! A richer and nobly sweet style of Riesling. "The 2017 Riesling Zeltinger Sonnenuhr Auslese ** (Golden Capsule) displays a concentrated yet highly refined bouquet of orange, lemon and grapefruit aromas intermixed with delicate and refreshing slate notes. Lush, piquant and salty on the elegant, pure, even weightless palate, this is a crystalline Auslese with great finesse, grip, tension and highly stimulating salinity. This is a finessed, gorgeous beauty, and it almost ma

$115

$110ea in any 3+

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Alsace Dry

Divine, Pure, Delicious!

Trimbach Clos Sainte Hune Riesling MAG 2017

Riesling | France, Alsace

Ask any Riesling tragic the Top 5 Rieslings in the World & they'll have Clos Sainte Hune on their list! Each region around the world has epic producers, in Alsace you think of Albert Mann, Zind Humbrecht, Ostertag and always Trimbach. Trimbach has certainly had plenty of practice. In only nine years they’ll celebrate the families 400thyear making wine! The first celebrated release of Clos Ste Hune was in 1919. "Vivid straw-green with gold highlights. Highly aromatic on the nose, revealing

$1,390

$1370ea in any 3+

$1350ea in any 6+

Alsace Off Dry

OFF-DRY

Domaine Marcel Deiss 1er Cru ‘Burg’ 2017

White Blend | Alsace, France

Premier Cru action from Deiss! A blend of 12 Alsatian Varieties! I haven't had the chance to try this yet. Given the rest of the 2017 are looking great this should be excellent too. D'Agata's note below if for the 2012. (a mixture of all the usual Alsace varieties, with a predominance of Gewürtzraminer, Riesling and Pinot Gris): Bright golden straw-yellow. The opulent nose features marmalady botrytis, honeyed tropical fruit and and sweet spice aromas. Densely packed, intense and showy, with

$138

$133ea in any 3+

$128ea in any 6+

OFF-DRY

Domaine Marcel Deiss 1er Cru ‘Grasberg’ 2017

White Blend | Alsace, France

Premier Cru action from Deiss! Riesling ~ Pinot Gris ~ Gewurztraminer I haven't had the chance to try this yet. Given the rest of the 2017 are looking great this should be excellent too. Notes from the last Grasberg I drank: Something quite special here. A unique wine of immense character. The botrytis play with spice, fresh apricot and almond / marzipan sits delicately with citrus, flowers, grapefruit and beyond. Off dry it sits balanced, with fresh acidity dancing over the light sweetnes

$138

$133ea in any 3+

$128ea in any 6+

Austria Dry

Schloss Gobelsburg Tradition Heritage Cuvée 3 Years Edition 850 NV

White Blend | Kamptal, Austria

Following on from the epic 50 year version of this wine, Michael Moosbruger plans to now release both a 3 year and 10 year version annually. Read more of the technique below. The Cuvée 3 Years Edition 850 is a blend of : Vintage: 85% 2018, 10% 2017, 5% 2016 Grapes: 80% Grüner Veltliner, 20% Riesling This is an epic wine of intensity yet delicacy. Perfumed with incredible complexity and a seamless mouthfeel. Entrancing, divine wine that require deep thought and patience to make. Soft

$100

$95ea in any 3+

$90ea in any 6+

Gunderloch 2019's

What a Difference 3 Year Makes!

Gunderloch Jean Baptiste Riesling Kabinett 2019

Riesling | Rheinhessen, Germany

I love seeing Kabinett styles from the different regions of Germany. Gunderloch's from the Rheinhessen is an absolute cracker! So playful. This is an excellent wine. Complex with beautiful acid, a divine texture. Delicious. A beautiful expression. Compared to the Kabinett of Loosen in the Mosel you see and extra 2.5% alcohol, half the residual sugar and 1.5g/L less acid yet both are balanced. The extra fermentation raising the alcohol adds vinosity and more immediate approachability to the wine.

$42

$40ea in any 3+

$38ea in any 6+

Gunderloch Als Wär’s Ein Stück Von Mir Riesling 2019

Riesling | Rheinhessen, Germany

A previous vintage of this wine was Johannes' 1st chance to make a wine on his own. Its success marked the changing of the baton from his father who granted him full control of all winemaking after tasting it! This was my note from the 2018 - Excellent personality, so much going on. Texturally insane. Great core of fruit. No sulphur to the juice allows the phenolics from the skin contact to oxidise and fall out leaving just the right amount of phenolic grip from the few days of skin contact the

$47

$45ea in any 3+

$43ea in any 6+

Gunderloch Nackenheim Rothenberg Riesling Spätlese 2019

Riesling | Rheinhessen, Germany

A juicy wine for the category with plenty of cassis character, but that doesn’t mean it’s really full-bodied. In fact, at the finish it’s quite a light and austere wine with a lot of herbal and green-leaf tea flavors. Drink or hold. Stuart Piggot

$78

$74ea in any 3+

$70ea in any 6+

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A.J.Adam Dhroner Hofberg Spätlese Riesling 2019

Riesling | Mosel, Germany

AP 16.20 The 2019er Hofberg Spätlese, as it is referred to on the consumer label, was harvested at 93° Oechsle from vines planted in 1953 on the main hill of the vineyard, and was fermented down to sweet levels of residual sugar. It proves quite backward and reductive at first, but only gradually reveals its rich and juicy nose of yellow peach, spices, golden apple, honeyed pear, and a hint of camphor. Plenty of honeyed and juicy yellow fruits give the wine some Auslese allure on the sweet pal

$89

$85ea in any 3+

$81ea in any 6+

Clemens Busch Riesling Marienburg Spätlese 2020

Riesling | Mosel, Germany

AP: 06 21. The 2020er Marienburg Riesling Spätlese, as it is referred to on the main part of the consumer label, was made from fruit picked at 86° Oechsle and was fermented down to sweet levels of residual sugar. It offers a backward nose made of melon, smoke, starfruit, herbs, and minerals. The wine is only subtly creamy on the overall rather racy palate and leaves a beautiful feel of ripe fruits packed into zesty minerals in the finish. The featherlight side of this Spätlese paired with its

$90

$86ea in any 3+

$82ea in any 6+

Willi Schaefer Graacher Domprobst Riesling Spätlese #10 2018

Riesling | Mosel, Germany

"AP: 10 19. The 2018er Graacher Domprobst Riesling Spätlese AP 10 was harvested at just above 90° Oechsle and was fermented down to fully fruity-styled levels of residual sugar. This offers telltale aromatics including pear, quince, greengage, laurel and caraway. The wine is packed with fruits, spices and herbs and yet remains incredibly filigreed right into the spicy finish. This is a superb effort and a great Spätlese with real Spätlese character. 2028-2048" Mosel Fine Wines

$91

$87ea in any 3+

$83ea in any 6+

Schloss Gobelsburg Ried ‘Gaisberg’ 1ÖTW Erste Lage Kamptal Riesling 2021

Riesling | Niederösterreich, Austria

Schloss Gobelsburg have got élévage all sorted! Exposure to oxygen at the right times in the right amounts for the right length of time has a clear and impressive impact on the phenolics and the textural components. Lovely scent of elderflower and citrus blossom. Very subtle green leafy herb and perhaps a faint mint. Excellent acid profile and weight with length and flow from a fine texture with just enough phenolic grip to act as a cleansing element. Mid-palate weight combines with excel

$92

$88ea in any 3+

$84ea in any 6+

A.J.Adam Dhroner Hofberg Spätlese Riesling 2017

Riesling | Mosel, Germany

AP 12.18 The 2017er Dhroner Hofberg Spätlese was harvested at 92° Oechsle in a prime parcel planted in the 1950s. It delivers a beautiful nose of whipped cream, vineyard peach, smoke, almond, earl grey and yellow plum. The wine offers great, almost concentrated presence on the mid-palate, yet a juicy and racy kick of acidity adds layers upon layers of freshness and intensity to the finish. This is a great success! 2027-2047 Jean Fisch & David Rayer, Mosel Fine Wines 94 Points

$93

$89ea in any 3+

$85ea in any 6+

DRY

Müller-Catoir Bürgergarten Erste Lage Riesling 2019

Riesling | Pfalz, Germany

One of the Benchmark Pfalz Estates! Update Nov 2023 Two years on the Erste Lage has resolved & the epic tension of its youth has relaxed. The Pfalz tends to make wines of a weight between the Mosel and Reinhessen. This one is true to form with plenty of zip and energy. Wonderfully expressive with a flowing long finish. Great drinking with more to come! Paul Kaan, WINE DECODED Perfumed with freshly grated lime zest, basil, white pepper and blossoming jasmine rising from the glass,

$95

$91ea in any 3+

$87ea in any 6+

Max Ferdinand Richter Wehlener Sonnenuhr Auslese** Faß 24 HALF 2020

Riesling | Mosel, Germany

Barrel Selection "AP: 15 21. The 2020er Wehlener Sonnenuhr Riesling Auslese ** - 24 - was made from 40% botrytized fruit picked at 115° Oechsle and was fermented down to noble-sweet levels of residual sugar (120 g/l). It offers a still rather backward nose made of smoky elements and only faint scents of melon, pineapple, apricot, and herbs. The wine is hugely racy and beautifully focused on the palate and leaves a mouthwatering feel of herbs, faint flavors of subtly exotic fruits, and spices in

$95

$90ea in any 3+

$85ea in any 6+

Willi Schaefer Graacher Domprobst Riesling Spätlese #10 2020

Riesling | Mosel-Saar-Ruwer, Germany

AP: 10 21. The 2020er Graacher Domprobst Riesling Spätlese AP 10 was harvested mainly in different prime sectors of the vineyard and was fermented down to sweet levels of residual sugar. It offers a beautiful and subtly exotic nose made of pear, passion fruit, vineyard peach, apricot, whipped cream, aniseed herbs, and fine smoky spices. The wine is gorgeously light-footed on the fruity palate and leaves a superbly intense feel of melon, cassis, wet stone, and herbs in the nicely playfully fruit

$95

$91ea in any 3+

$87ea in any 6+

Weingut Nikolaihof Gutswein Riesling 2017

Riesling | Wachau, Austria

This became the Nikolaihof “manor” wine after a natural fermentation stop. Bright and intense on the nose, with aromas of minerality, wet forest floor, sweet peach, white flowers, and a hint of dry bread and honey. It fits perfectly with Asian and spicy dishes due to its light sweetness. Clear and intense on the nose, with aromas of minerality, forest floor, sweet peach, white flowers and a hint of dry bread and honey with a slightly sweet aftertaste. **DUE MID-2024**

$96

$92ea in any 3+

$88ea in any 6+

Weingut Nikolaihof Riesling Federspiel 2022

Riesling | Wachau, Austria

Nikolaihof’s Fiederspiel level the middle ripeness of the classifications. Vom Stein: This site is a sub-site of the larger Silberbichel vineyard. Located south east of the village, this is just 5.25 Ha and is a slight incline, sloping east, on the easternmost border of the Silberbichel vineyard. The soils are gneiss with mica inclusions; there is a layer of loess and topsoil here – 60-120cm before you start to hit primary rock. Nikolaihof is the only winery to bottle this site on it�

$96

$92ea in any 3+

$88ea in any 6+

Willi Schaefer Graacher Himmerlreich Riesling Spätlese #8 2019

Riesling | Mosel-Saar-Ruwer, Germany

"AP: 10 19. The 2018er Graacher Domprobst Riesling Spätlese AP 10 was harvested at just above 90° Oechsle and was fermented down to fully fruity-styled levels of residual sugar. This offers telltale aromatics including pear, quince, greengage, laurel and caraway. The wine is packed with fruits, spices and herbs and yet remains incredibly filigreed right into the spicy finish. This is a superb effort and a great Spätlese with real Spätlese character. 2028-2048" Mosel Fine Wines

$97

$93ea in any 3+

$89ea in any 6+

Joh Jos Prüm Zeltinger Sonnenuhr Spätlese Riesling 2020

Riesling | Mosel, Germany

Broad, rich front palate. Juvenille, requiring a lot of coaxing to get it to come out to play. White stone fruit here. Increase in phenolic grip works well here. A little roller coaster of joy. With a silver line at the back palate. Playful, needs 5 years at least. "The 2020er Zeltinger Sonnenuhr Riesling Spätlese still proves flinty, quite smoky, and reductive at first before it almost reluctantly reveals its super nose made of stone fruits, vineyard peach, Conference pear, anise, and h

$97

$92ea in any 3+

$87ea in any 6+

Julian Haart Piesporter Riesling 2020

Riesling | Mosel, Germany

"The 2020er Piesporter, as it is referred to on the red and silver consumer label, comes from the Goldtröpfchen. It offers a beautifully fresh, spicy, and floral nose of green herbs, smoke, pepper, white peach, greengage, almond, and still residual scents from its spontaneous fermentation. The wine is very straight and focused on the lively and even racy palate. It finishes bone-dry, pure, and vibrating with salty and spices elements. This dry wine is superbly balanced and shines through its en

$99

$95ea in any 3+

$91ea in any 6+

DRY

Clemens Busch Riesling Vom Blauen Schiefer 2019

Riesling | Mosel, Germany

"The 2019er Riesling vom blauen Schiefer, as it is referred to on the main part of the label, comes from early pickings in the blue-slate sector (Fahrlay) of the Pündericher Marienburg. It offers a gorgeously floral and subtle bouquet quickly joined by mirabelle, vineyard peach, herbs, passion fruit, and smoke. The wine is gorgeously animating on the precise and zest-infused palate and leaves a feel of orchard fruits and herbal elements in the beautifully tart finish. The after-taste is all abo

$100

$95ea in any 3+

$90ea in any 6+

Robert Weil Kiedrich Klosterberg Riesling Trocken 2020

Riesling | Rheingau, Germany

“From the oldest, up to 50-year-old vines of the estate and cultivated on partly reddish phyllite soils in altitudes up to 300 meters, the 2020 Kiedrich Klosterberg Riesling Trocken was aged on the full lees until late July for the first time (instead of April, like in the former vintages). This brings a remarkable, delicate, subtle and articulated, very elegant and flinty, almost Mosel-like Riesling bouquet of bright fruit aromas (mango, passion fruit) intertwined with notes of crushed iron a

$100

$95ea in any 3+

$90ea in any 6+

Schloss Gobelsburg Tradition Heritage Cuvée 3 Years Edition 850 NV

White Blend | Kamptal, Austria

Following on from the epic 50 year version of this wine, Michael Moosbruger plans to now release both a 3 year and 10 year version annually. Read more of the technique below. The Cuvée 3 Years Edition 850 is a blend of : Vintage: 85% 2018, 10% 2017, 5% 2016 Grapes: 80% Grüner Veltliner, 20% Riesling This is an epic wine of intensity yet delicacy. Perfumed with incredible complexity and a seamless mouthfeel. Entrancing, divine wine that require deep thought and patience to make. Soft

$100

$95ea in any 3+

$90ea in any 6+