Solid entry-level priced Rieslings

[Charlie_Carnes]

@Scott Williams

I don’t think this has been mentioned yet, and it’s not as widely available, but I’m loving Gunther Steinmetz in 2009. The Wintricher Geierslay Riesling Spatlese Feinherb is out-of-this-world good, though hovers a bit above $20. Their basic riesling trocken is around $15/L, and that rocks too. Other than that, I’d second the Dr. L, various S-O kabinetts/halbtrockens, Donnhoff QbA/kabinetts (also Tonschiefer) for sub-$20 drinking. From the Pfalz, I like Bassermann-Jordan’s Deidesheimer Paradiesgarten kabinett too, if you like your riesling with a bit of a red-fruit profile. I agree with others that Meulenhof consistently overdelivers for its price point.

cheers,
scott

I got a few of the Steinmetz but I haven’t test driven one. Sounds like it’s going to be good.

[Arv_R]

@John Cabot

Yes, the Dr. L Blue Slate is a very nice every day drinker for around $13. Can’t keep enough of it around.

Just finished a bottle of the 15 Loosen ‘Blue Slate’ Riesling Kabinett [Mosel] over the last couple of nights with chicken tikka, naan, and saag. I liked it - very crisp, bright, and light at 8% abv. It’s been a while since I’ve bought anything from this producer, maybe since the 2001 and 2002 vintages. I’m not sure the wines are are as good as I remember, but I guess this is also a lower level, estate wine. The back label suggests that the wine is medium sweet on a sliding scale of their design. Not sure I would agree with that, it didn’t seem all that sweet to me and the wife thought it was downright tart*. Still a nice midweek easy to drink effort, that pairs well with Asian food, and for acid fans - it’s got a fine linear dimension there. A nice B+.

• The SO went with a hard dry sparkling pear cider instead.

[Leonard_Maran]

2016 selbach oster riesling kabinett & 2016 Dönnhoff Estate Riesling Nahe

[Louis_Demers]

@D@vid Bu3ker

The Donnhoff Riesling QbA can be had for around $20 or less & is amazingly food friendly.

Merkelbach is a fantastic QPR producer - wines in the teens and low 20s that are refreshing and food friendly.

Schaefer-Frohlich’s Riesling Medium Dry is a favorite on my dinner table for a very fair price. I’m just now finishing off my 2004s.

Another Selbach-Oster wine you should consider is their Zeltinger Himmelreich Riesling Kabinett Halbtrocken. You can get that for around $20 (or less, depending on store and vintage), and it’s great value.

All of these are also wines that ages well, so you can buy a case & drink it over a period of time.

I am not a expert but this one is a winner every time! ( even with my gf that does not like white wine much) I bought a buch of the 2015 and I just cannot keep my hands off them…

[Drew_Goin]

@Berry Crawford

@Peter C.

What vintages should I look for?

Do you like rich and oppulent or racy and minerally? Or both?

Here is a rough take on recent vintages:

2004 - Racy and elegant. Some seem closed. Some wines have some teriary going on.
2005 - Very ripe and oppulent vintage. I like them alot more now that the baby fat has melted off.
2006 - Some are too sweet for me but some can be quite fun and exotic.
2007 - Medium ripe (by today’s standards) and very well balanced wines (for me).
2008 - Racy and electric wines. Im a huge fan of the vintage. More lemon than stone fruit flavors.
2009 - Oppulent and sexy wines. Love em. Great balance but don’t look for much elegance relative to 2008.

People like David Bueker drink more widely than I do so hopefully he can weigh in.

Wow, Berry! Thanks for your input!

[Izzy_Nosnik]

Jakob Schneider recently has been my QPR++ for riesling. PAME all day.

[Russell_Faulkner]

They are all good QPR.

[Ralph_George]

Try Max Ferd. Richter’s monopole vineyard - Veldenzer Elisenberg. The Kabinett is in sub-$20 price range. The Spatlese is just a little more.

(How did this not get recommended yet?)

[KatrinaBI]

@Russell Faulkner

It’s much easier to name producers that aren’t good QPR.

I agree with this. One of my go-tos is Thanisch’s Bernkasteler Badstube Kabinett ($20) but I buy quite widely at that price point.

[Nathan_Smyth]

@Peter C.

easily available, sub-$15 and sub-$20 Rieslings

If you can find the Donnhoff Estate Riesling [semi-sweet] or either of its dryer siblings [“Trocken” or “Tonschiefer”], for less than $20, then BACK UP THE TRUCK.

But down here, in Central NC, we’re supposed to be one of the top AFWE markets in the entire USA, yet we’ve got only maybe one & a half stores which are still trying to keep Donnhoff in stock.

In most of the markets in the USA, at $15 to $20, I’d be concentrating almost exclusively on Prosecco [dry] & Moscato d’Asti [sweet], and then experimenting with Spanish or Greek equivalents if they were available.

I’ve come to the conclusion that Prosecco & Moscato d’Asti are the Alpha & the Omega of the wine world.

[Pau1_M3nk3s]

The basic 2015 Zind-Humbrecht is worth checking out @$22. It’s a delicious and dry Riesling that checks in at 12% abv.

[Michae1_P0wers]

Love the Donnhoff estate. Bought two cases of the '15 and I’m down to 4 bottles. Leitz and Selbach Oster also great value. I never see the Merkelbach but I hear good things.

[Nathan_Smyth]

@Michae1 P0wers

Love the Donnhoff estate. Bought two cases of the '15 and I’m down to 4 bottles.

Generally speaking, the Estate tends to age very well.

You might consider hiding those last four bottle off in a dark corner of the cellar somewhere and then forgetting about them for five or ten years [if not longer].

[alexnicholas]

Hofgut Falkenstein Krettnacher Euchariusberg Kabinett is sub $20 and delicious.

[Claus_Jeppesen]

Is the OP interested in dry Riesling at all?
Then Keller Von der Fels, Schäfer Fröhlich Vulkangestein and Schönleber Mineral are all mandatory

[Michae1_P0wers]

@Nathan Smyth

@Michae1 P0wers

Love the Donnhoff estate. Bought two cases of the '15 and I’m down to 4 bottles.

Generally speaking, the Estate tends to age very well.

You might consider hiding those last four bottle off in a dark corner of the cellar somewhere and then forgetting about them for five or ten years [if not longer].

I know, but I can’t help it as it has drank so well all along. Wish I’d bought four cases instead of two!

[jon_leifer]

one more vote for Donnhoff, St Urbans Hof and Merkelbach

[Arv_R]

Opened an 09 Reuscher- Haart Piesporter Goldtropfchen Kabinett tonight and it is stunning. The best young Kabinett I’ve had in recent memory. The balance and precision is so perfect- lazer like. We picked this up for around $17 at Hi Times, and I wished I’d bought a case, or two.

I’ve been drinking a 2015 Reuscher-Haart Piesporter Goldtropfchen Kabinett [Mosel] the last 3 nights and this vintage is terrific as well. This is AP Nr. 2 596 470 06 16 although I’m not sure what that really means, or how consumers would look specifically for that. I just bought it since I saw it was a Terry Theise selection and my grocery store doesn’t usually have many of their picks. But this 8.5% abv wine has terrific verve, almost an electric mouthfeel, and is delicious as an apertif or with an Indian curry. Screwtop too. Even the SO who doesn’t like German off-dry enjoyed a sip or two. I’d give this tremendous value an A-

[Robert_Sand]

There are so many good entry level Rieslings (called Gutsriesling) here in Germany, impossible to list - mostly from 7.50 to 10 €, rarely above,
most are delicious -
however I have no info about availability an the other side of the Atlantic.

[Howard_Cooper]

Basic wines from Schloss Lieser (estate Kabinett) and Zilliken (called Butterfly).

From Alsace, try Trimbach.