Any particular bottlings that are worth starting with?
Selbach and Loosen are VERY available. I will note that wine has not typically been very hard to source where i live (Los Angeles).
Your the second to mention Trimbach. Seems like they are overwhelmingly the standard for Alsace
They really are IMO
This is a great lineup! Some of my favorite producers in here. I would definitely add a wine from the Rheingau - JB Becker is very affordable and also fantastic. I saw upthread you like Falkenstein, and while in a different region I see some similarities in their style (crystalline could be a word to describe it)
In Austria, I like Prager, Knoll, Nikolaihof, Schloss Goebelsburg
I personally think Keller VdF is the platonic ideal of a trocken riesling so I hope you enjoy!
I’d also encourage you to check out Emrich’s other trockens - Mineral and Halgans. These are a measurable step up from the entry bottling and not much more $.
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Just some light research Ive done. All of the Berg Roseneck bottlings are on pre arrival from various stores. Cant seem to find anywhere that has single bottles.
Averages to about 80ish USD. I dont know if this aligns price wise with the EU
The whole reason I got put on to Emrich was someone ordered a 2008 Monzinger Frühlingsplätzchen trocken at dinner and it truly floored me. Wanted to see what I could attain a little more affordably and younger lol. Will do! They had them available where i bought this particular bottle as well!
(Great name by the way)
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If you’re in LA, tons of good stuff at K and L, including many of the bottles mentioned here.
Robert Panzer is a Berserker and brings in a lot of good and affordable stuff from Germany and Alsace. Worth getting on his list to read through descriptions of good producers if nothing else.
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Leitz makes an outstanding Berg Roseneck that is not quite so pricy.
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I got several of my wines from them as well as WoodlandHills Wine Co!
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Haven’t seen Hermann Ludes mentioned yet?
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Another qpr champion. Goddaamn I love German wine
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I’ll second Peter Lauer. While I enjoy the whole range, the GL wines have beautiful balance and are very reasonably priced compared to the GG lineup.
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33 replies, no Maximin Grunhaus?!??? [or did I miss it?]
Crusius Traiser Bastei.
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I was waiting until we got to Spätlese to include Grunhaus.
Crusius is (sadly) very hard to source these days.
The 2020 Berg Roseneck is €72 at the winery. I had been getting the 2020 village wine for $13 ish in New York for the last 18 months or so and I really enjoyed it, sad to see the last of that deal.
But where is the OP located?
Don’t think anyone has mentioned Wittmann yet…
Especially in 2024, these are such exciting wines, operating on the more incisive, racy end of things. The 1G wines are a joke QPR wise
They seemed interested in the price in the EU?
A lot of great German suggestions, so a few more bits of information on Austria and Australia specifically for dry wines. A bit general but hopefully a few thought-starters even if the specific producers are difficult to source in your locale. Hope this is useful.
Austria
Generally important as a counterpoint to German riesling due to warmer conditions = fuller body, riper fruit, including stone and even tropical fruit. Few other places are really making this style. A few producers / bottlings of note below. Since you’re looking for a single bottle to make “jumping off point” decisions, I’d recommend trying the single vineyard bottlings as they can be quite different stylistically from the regional bottlings. And not that expensive in the wider scheme of things
Kamptal: Hirsch / Allram could be producers to try. Heiligenstein is widely regarded as the best site but Gaisberg / Lamm etc also super. I think the smokiness / bbq notes in the Kamptal are fantastic.
Wachau: Knoll is great as mentioned and I think Roland Chan / Rudi Pichler make a good comparison vs. Knoll in a richer/riper style. I love both styles but it may give you an insight into what you prefer. With prioritisation in mind, I’d generally recommend trying the Smaragd wines for the most distinct comparison to the rest of the Riesling world.
Australia
I know you indicated preference for Germany / Austria, but I think it’s an important benchmark to understand what you love. Very clean in youth with high acid, bright fruit (characteristically lime). Good aging potential - personally I find they can be a bit generic in their youth (although the quality is clear so others may rightly feel different) but come alive with age.
Clare Valley: Jim Barry would be a good producer to try perhaps comparing the Watervale vs. Lodge Hill (within Polish Hill region)
Eden Valley: Pewsey Vale would be one producer to try but I also think Penfolds Bin 51 is an excellent example of the style at the higher end.