Like Chardonnay, Riesling is moulded by terroir but is even more diverse in style, from dry Alsatian powerhouses (Trimbach, Weinbach) and ethereal, off-dry Mosels (Egon Müller, Willi Schaefer) to the sweetest Trockenbeerenauslese nectars known to man. With electrifying acidity and ripe-fruit characteristics, this chameleon is mostly vinified without oak, and seems to suck slaty, mineral characteristics from the ground on which it’s grown. (Scientists doubt this phenomenon, but drink Klaus Peter Keller’s liquid limestone Grosses Gewächs if you want proof.) Outside of Germany and Alsace, excellent Rieslings can be found in Australia and Austria.
