German Riesling Recommendations

[Gabe_Berk]

Emrich Schönleber (my favorite in all of Germany)
Langwerth von Simmern
Joh. Jos. Christoffel
Fritz Haag
Heymann-Löwenstein
Dr. Loosen Blue Slate or Dr. Loosen “L” are probably the best QPR rieslings out there IMO.

[David_Bu3ker]

If you are trying to stay around $20, I have to recommend the Dönnhoff Estate Riesling. It’s been a regular case purchase for me since 1996, and never fails to provide pleasure. It also ages for 10 years or more (I am currently finishing my 2008-2012 cases with great happiness). In the last few years, Cornelius Dönnhoff has dialed back the sweetness on the wine, so it’s an easy food paring for a wide variety of dishes. It’s still also a great aperitif.

[DougS]

If you want a really dry wine that is special, try Trimbach’s Cuvee Frederic Emile from Alsace.

It’s so different from German Riesling, though, and in my opinion, the same money gets a much better dry Riesling in Germany (CFE is pricey these days).

[ykwon]

Peter Lauer is pretty good

[Sc0tt_F_tzgerald]

Selbach-Oster
Prager

[Max_S1]

If you are trying to stay around $20, I have to recommend the Dönnhoff Estate Riesling. It’s been a regular case purchase for me since 1996, and never fails to provide pleasure. It also ages for 10 years or more (I am currently finishing my 2008-2012 cases with great happiness). In the last few years, Cornelius Dönnhoff has dialed back the sweetness on the wine, so it’s an easy food paring for a wide variety of dishes. It’s still also a great aperitif.

Do Donnhoff’s upper level wines meet expectations too?

[Howard_Cooper]

Peter Lauer is pretty good

How far back do you go with Lauer. I have a few but they are quite young. Another producer that intrigues me from the Saar is Falkenstein but again I don’t have nearly enough experience with them (and none with wines with any age) to recommend them right now.

[David_Bu3ker]

If you are trying to stay around $20, I have to recommend the Dönnhoff Estate Riesling. It’s been a regular case purchase for me since 1996, and never fails to provide pleasure. It also ages for 10 years or more (I am currently finishing my 2008-2012 cases with great happiness). In the last few years, Cornelius Dönnhoff has dialed back the sweetness on the wine, so it’s an easy food paring for a wide variety of dishes. It’s still also a great aperitif.

Do Donnhoff’s upper level wines meet expectations too?

Oh yes they do! I have been a dedicated collector and drinker of Donnhoff wines since 1995, with tasting experience back to the 1988 vintage. I have extensive experience with pretty much every wine they make, and maintain that they live at the top tier of German Riesling in each category they produce.

[John_Morris]

If you are trying to stay around $20, I have to recommend the Dönnhoff Estate Riesling. It’s been a regular case purchase for me since 1996, and never fails to provide pleasure. It also ages for 10 years or more (I am currently finishing my 2008-2012 cases with great happiness). In the last few years, Cornelius Dönnhoff has dialed back the sweetness on the wine, so it’s an easy food paring for a wide variety of dishes. It’s still also a great aperitif.

Do Donnhoff’s upper level wines meet expectations too?

Yes

[John_Morris]

Matt,

The #1 issue with German wines in this country right now is a revolution in how they are distributed in the US right now. Shake up in German wine distribution in this country - WINE TALK - WineBerserkers For an entire generation, most German wines have been imported through either Terry Theise or Rudi Wiest. As I understand it, Theise sold his company to Skurnik some time ago but continued to work there and be the face of the company. Now, he know longer works there. Rudi Wiest has gotten older and I am not his company exists anymore. New people are starting to import German wines and who imports what is changing. While there are still plenty of German wines around and it likely will be good to have the energy of a new generation of importers around (I remember when Terry Theise was a brand new importer shaking things up) but my sense is that right now there are some producers whose wines are harder to find than they were a couple of years ago. I expect this to be more temporary than permanent, but the current state of the world cannot be helping.

Howard, six weeks ago, you posted a link to the story about Wiest’s company filing for bankruptcy last year, and you linked to the website of the German Wine Collection, the company formed by some of his employees, who have picked up much of Wiest’s old portfolio (including JJ Prum, Rebholz, Schafer-Frolich, Pfeffingen, Wirsching).

[J_Rock]

If you are trying to stay around $20, I have to recommend the Dönnhoff Estate Riesling. It’s been a regular case purchase for me since 1996, and never fails to provide pleasure. It also ages for 10 years or more (I am currently finishing my 2008-2012 cases with great happiness). In the last few years, Cornelius Dönnhoff has dialed back the sweetness on the wine, so it’s an easy food paring for a wide variety of dishes. It’s still also a great aperitif.

Do Donnhoff’s upper level wines meet expectations too?

Yes

Their Niederhauser Hermannshohle Auslese Goldkapsel is completely excellent, and it’s far from their most expensive wine. I highly recommend trying it out if you can find some.

[Howard_Cooper]

Matt,

The #1 issue with German wines in this country right now is a revolution in how they are distributed in the US right now. Shake up in German wine distribution in this country - WINE TALK - WineBerserkers For an entire generation, most German wines have been imported through either Terry Theise or Rudi Wiest. As I understand it, Theise sold his company to Skurnik some time ago but continued to work there and be the face of the company. Now, he know longer works there. Rudi Wiest has gotten older and I am not his company exists anymore. New people are starting to import German wines and who imports what is changing. While there are still plenty of German wines around and it likely will be good to have the energy of a new generation of importers around (I remember when Terry Theise was a brand new importer shaking things up) but my sense is that right now there are some producers whose wines are harder to find than they were a couple of years ago. I expect this to be more temporary than permanent, but the current state of the world cannot be helping.

Howard, six weeks ago, you posted a link to the story about Wiest’s company filing for bankruptcy last year, and you linked to the website of the German Wine Collection, the company formed by some of his employees, who have picked up much of Wiest’s old portfolio (including JJ Prum, Rebholz, Schafer-Frolich, Pfeffingen, Wirsching).

Yes, I know - see my link on my post. But, I am not seeing a lot of my favorite producers showing up at retail again, at least around here.

[Jim_Stewart]

If you are trying to stay around $20, I have to recommend the Dönnhoff Estate Riesling. It’s been a regular case purchase for me since 1996, and never fails to provide pleasure. It also ages for 10 years or more (I am currently finishing my 2008-2012 cases with great happiness). In the last few years, Cornelius Dönnhoff has dialed back the sweetness on the wine, so it’s an easy food paring for a wide variety of dishes. It’s still also a great aperitif.

David, I like to find rieslings to try around this price range. I have seen a couple of Dönnhoff Estate Riesling Kabinett bottlings. One has the added name “Trocken”, the other does not. Do you have a preference? Thanks. -Jim

[John_Morris]

If you are trying to stay around $20, I have to recommend the Dönnhoff Estate Riesling. It’s been a regular case purchase for me since 1996, and never fails to provide pleasure. It also ages for 10 years or more (I am currently finishing my 2008-2012 cases with great happiness). In the last few years, Cornelius Dönnhoff has dialed back the sweetness on the wine, so it’s an easy food paring for a wide variety of dishes. It’s still also a great aperitif.

David, I like to find rieslings to try around this price range. I have seen a couple of Dönnhoff Estate Riesling Kabinett bottlings. One has the added name “Trocken”, the other does not. Do you have a preference? Thanks. -Jim

The Trocken will be dry. The other, without Trocken, will be sweet. So it’s a matter of personal preference.

[John_Morris]

Howard, six weeks ago, you posted a link to the story about Wiest’s company filing for bankruptcy last year, and you linked to the website of the German Wine Collection, the company formed by some of his employees, who have picked up much of Wiest’s old portfolio (including JJ Prum, Rebholz, Schafer-Frolich, Pfeffingen, Wirsching).

Yes, I know - see my link on my post. But, I am not seeing a lot of my favorite producers showing up at retail again, at least around here.

I can imagine that the new company may not have the East Coast distributors lined up, or they may not have the East Coast rights.

[David_Bu3ker]

If you are trying to stay around $20, I have to recommend the Dönnhoff Estate Riesling. It’s been a regular case purchase for me since 1996, and never fails to provide pleasure. It also ages for 10 years or more (I am currently finishing my 2008-2012 cases with great happiness). In the last few years, Cornelius Dönnhoff has dialed back the sweetness on the wine, so it’s an easy food paring for a wide variety of dishes. It’s still also a great aperitif.

David, I like to find rieslings to try around this price range. I have seen a couple of Dönnhoff Estate Riesling Kabinett bottlings. One has the added name “Trocken”, the other does not. Do you have a preference? Thanks. -Jim

I like the lower level Donnhoff trockens, but I prefer the regular bottlings, especially in the last couple of years. Cornelius has dialed back the sweetness, and made the estate Riesling more of a “feinherb” style, which I really like.

[Brian_G_r_a_f_s_t_r_o_m]

If you are trying to stay around $20, I have to recommend the Dönnhoff Estate Riesling. It’s been a regular case purchase for me since 1996, and never fails to provide pleasure. It also ages for 10 years or more (I am currently finishing my 2008-2012 cases with great happiness). In the last few years, Cornelius Dönnhoff has dialed back the sweetness on the wine, so it’s an easy food paring for a wide variety of dishes. It’s still also a great aperitif.

David, I like to find rieslings to try around this price range. I have seen a couple of Dönnhoff Estate Riesling Kabinett bottlings. One has the added name “Trocken”, the other does not. Do you have a preference? Thanks. -Jim

Their Oberhauser Leistenberg Kabinett (sweet) is annually excellent. Granted, it’s $30, not $20; I think the step up is well worth the $10.

[J_Rock]

If you are trying to stay around $20, I have to recommend the Dönnhoff Estate Riesling. It’s been a regular case purchase for me since 1996, and never fails to provide pleasure. It also ages for 10 years or more (I am currently finishing my 2008-2012 cases with great happiness). In the last few years, Cornelius Dönnhoff has dialed back the sweetness on the wine, so it’s an easy food paring for a wide variety of dishes. It’s still also a great aperitif.

David, I like to find rieslings to try around this price range. I have seen a couple of Dönnhoff Estate Riesling Kabinett bottlings. One has the added name “Trocken”, the other does not. Do you have a preference? Thanks. -Jim

Although it’s not made by one of my favorite producers, I think Max Ferd. Richter Veldenzer Elisenberger Riesling Kabinett is really great and rigt around $20. Great wine and ridiculous value.

[DanielP]

I would say around $20, you can find Selbach-Oster single vineyard wines which I think are a step up from most entry level Rieslings and probably worth the slight uptick while remaining in that ~20 range.

https://www.wine-searcher.com/find/selbach+oster+zeltinger/1/usa

[Howard_Cooper]

Howard, six weeks ago, you posted a link to the story about Wiest’s company filing for bankruptcy last year, and you linked to the website of the German Wine Collection, the company formed by some of his employees, who have picked up much of Wiest’s old portfolio (including JJ Prum, Rebholz, Schafer-Frolich, Pfeffingen, Wirsching).

Yes, I know - see my link on my post. But, I am not seeing a lot of my favorite producers showing up at retail again, at least around here.

I can imagine that the new company may not have the East Coast distributors lined up, or they may not have the East Coast rights.

I have also heard that a couple of Rudi Wiest producers are not sure yet who they want to distribute their wines going forward. My info on this is a bit old (going back to six weeks ago when I wrote my earlier post) so may be out of date.