Top 6 Rieslings priced over £15

Following on from our round-up of medal-winning Rieslings priced under £15, we take a look at the best performing wines priced over £15, as judged in The Drinks Business Riesling Global Masters, all of which were awarded a coveted Master.

This year’s competition yielded an impressive six Master wines from the £15-£20 to over £50 category, demonstrating the value on offer within the category and quality at both ends of the price spectrum. Not only that, but Masters were awarded to wines across the board in terms of style, from dry, medium sweet and sweet. 

Weingut Schätzel Reinschiefer Riesling from the Rheinhessen was the only dry Riesling to gain the top title of Master, while in the medium-dry category, over £15, our judges uncovered a number of high scores from non-traditional sources of gently sweet Riesling. Among these were De Bortoli’s Single Vineyard A7 Riesling from the Yarra Valley and Johannisberger Weinvertrieb’s Schloss Johannisberger Riesling Silberlack. Within the sweet Riesling over 45g/l category, the judges were so impressed by the entries that they awarded as many as three Masters. Germany was the source of these truly great examples, although Canada too achieved a top score for one of Andrew Peller’s Rieslings from the Okanagan Valley, which was the only icewine of the tasting.

For a full round up on the competition and medal-winning wines, please click here. Click through for a look at this year’s top-performing wines priced over £15. 

Schatzel Schatzel RheinSchiefer Riesling Germany, 2013

Medal: Master

Price category: £20-£30

Style: Dry Riesling (under 4g/l)

“Complex and developing nose of honey, beeswax, spices and citrus. On the palate, juicy and vibrant. lovely pure citrus fruit, mineral, peach fruit. Lively and fruity with a nice finish.”

De Bortoli Wines Yarra Valley Single Vineyard Section A7 Riesling Australia 2014

Medal: Master

Price category: £15 – £20

Style: Medium-dry Riesling (4-12g/l)

“Open aromatic nose with a touch of sulphur. Palate very appealing with ripe strawberry and peach notes. Round, full and some sweetness but balanced by cleansing acidity.”

Johannisberger Weinvertrieb KG, Schloss Johannisberger Riesling Silberlack GG, Germany, 2013

Medal: Master

Price category: Over £50

Style: Medium-dry Riesling (4-12g/l)

“Open, generous and inviting nose with sweet honey and botrytis character. Some evolution on the palate with a touch of elastic, but of sulphur and firm. Some slightly evolved orange and tangerine notes. Interesting and company with a very long finish with some stony character. Delicious now but will keep.”

VDP Weingut Georg Müller Stiftung, Hattenheimer Schützenhaus Riesling Trockenbeerenauslese, Germany, 2011

Medal: Master

Price category: £20-£30

Sugar level: 247

Style: Sweet Riesling (over 45g/l)

“Very evolved, slightly bruised apple oxidative note on the nose but with toffee apple sweetness. Similar on the palate but with very intense California raisins, dried figs, masses of viscous sweetness, molasses. Long finish with cleansing acidity to finish. Like golden syrup over baked apples with brown sugar and sultanas. Very impressive and not too expensive. Amazing wine.”

Andrew Peller Andrew Peller Signature Series Riesling Icewine Canada 2013

Master

Price category: £30-£50

Sugar level: 234

Style: Sweet Riesling (over 45g/l)

“Aged nose with some tertiary characters. Raisins on the nose but lifted by time and lime leaves. Interesting palate with slightly musky botrytis character. Intensely sweet honey-coated raisins, viscous with just enough freshness to keep one wanting more. Very impressive.”

Winzerkeller Sommerach EG, Sommeracher Katzenkopf, Trockenbeerenauslese, Germany 2012

Medal: Master

Price category: £30-£50

Sugar level: 239.7

Style: Sweet Riesling (over 45g/l)

“Intense on the nose with pure fruit development and notes of lemon and lime. Very, very sweet with high acidity and good balance. Mouthwatering, concentrated and complex. Wow.”