Riesling: ‘the greatest white wine grape’ – Jancis Robinson
Riesling
'The greatest white wine grape' – Jancis Robinson
No other wine has been the object of such devoted campaigning, and ardor as Riesling' – Eric Asimov, The New York Times
Riesling makes some of the best wines in the world, but remains an enigma, often underrated or misunderstood. It pairs so well with almost anything: from spicy to sweet, purely reflects its terroir, and drinks well young but could age for centuries. 'Dry Riesling is one of the wine world’s undervalued treasures,’ says Jancis Robinson. To help you understand this noble grape better and tantalise your taste buds this spring, here’s a selection of our favourite dry Rieslings from across the globe.
From granitic soils in Baden, Germany, comes a floral and mineral introductory Riesling by Schieferkopf – a steal at only R215. Clemens Busch is Germany’s foremost biodynamic pioneer and their Trocken 2020 (Mosel), made from their declassified ‘Grand Cru’ vineyards, shows exactly why they have a cult following.
Not to be missed is Trimbach’s Riesling 2020 and their exceptional Grand Cru Mandelberg – ‘the most famous Riesling estate (and 400-years old) in all of Alsace’, writes Wine Advocate. Dirk and Daniel Niepoort’s Riesling colab with Weingut Kettern (Mosel) has produced the crystalline Niepoort & Kettern Falkenberg 2017. And one can’t celebrate Riesling without mentioning Australia’s famed Eden Valley. Check out Pewsey Vale’s 2021 Eden Valley Riesling – a 96-pointer (JS) for R430!
