Series No 2 - Discover Germany

While young Riesling can be very seductive, there is no question that Riesling comes into its own with age. Indeed, though one tends to think of Riesling as a delicate, ephemeral wine, in truth it is indestructible, evolving effortlessly over time (when well-stored). And we are not just talking a few years, or even decades, but centuries.

While such prodigious ageing is rather academic for most of us, it is worth considering just one historic example. Take this off-dry Pfalz Riesling from 1811 (the year in which Jane Austen published Sense & Sensibility), tasted in 2018 by the German wine critic Anne Krebiehl and described thus in Decanter magazine: "The colour was amber; the nose at first had a hint of smoke which then opened into notions of lanoline, beeswax, lifted citrus and white truffle. The palate was fresh-faced, friendly, just off-dry and, incredibly, still had almost juicy playfulness, verve and impeccable balance. That it was 207 years old left us speechless."

It could be argued convincingly that no other unfortified wine (of any colour) ages as well as Riesling. And no, you do not have to wait for 200 years to uncork them. What is more, there is no prem-ox drama here, ever. All of which is why collecting Riesling is so rewarding and generally free of the fear of cellaring something for too long.

Riesling’s unusual ageability applies – wonderfully – to most good Riesling, by which we mean any artisanally made Riesling, whether dry, sweet or in between. But the different Riesling renderings evolve in different ways, with the wine changing considerably in bottle. Few wines make such transitions in aroma and texture as Riesling does within its first five years. With Riesling, the change from youth to evolution is dramatic – but once that evolution is under way, the trajectory is smooth and slow, as flavours become gradually more intense and textures become ever more balm-like – even for bone-dry Rieslings. And while, particularly for the top dry wines, there can be a small window of reticence, between youthful exuberance and the gentle onset of evolution, there tend not to be any real ‘dumb phases’ in the development of most Rieslings.

Young Rieslings charm with primary flavours that encompass herbal, floral, mineral and fruity notions – always with the requisite freshness provided by various citrus nuances. In youth, and in combination with Riesling’s pronounced acidity, these are a complete joy. More than any other wine – bar perhaps Champagne – young Riesling offers actual refreshment. For this effect, opening dry and off-dry village wines and Kabinetts – no matter from what region or vintage – as soon as you get your hands on them is to be encouraged.

Yet equally, aged Rieslings come with little risk. Even entry-level Rieslings have a surprising longevity and can still be delicious after 15, 20 or 30 years when well-stored. Great dry, off-dry and subtly sweet Rieslings shine even after decades, while nobly sweet Rieslings and Eisweins simply defy the years. In fact, these last two categories are arguably wasted when very young, as it robs them of their most precious expression – but they can be enjoyed indefinitely.

Dry Rieslings can range from restrained herb and stone notions, via floral and gently fruity freshness, to all-out juiciness of peach and even tropical fruit. As the wines age, these characteristics continue, but in a transformed state: fresh herb turns into ethereal tisane; fresh citrus turns into dried citrus; while really mature wines show notions of herb tincture, smoke, lanoline and wax. What changes dramatically in dry Riesling is the texture: even wines that are bracingly taut in youth become balm-like with increasing age, while wines with broader shoulders and more body can develop oiliness. Estate wines can be enjoyed young and up to 10, 15, 25 years, depending on how you like them. Serious dry Rieslings from single sites, like Grosse Gewächse, should benefit from bottle age – their drinking window begins at 5 years and continues for decades. The only governing principle here is how evolved you like the wines.

Kabinett and Spätlese, unless they are made in a dry style, benefit from residual sweetness to boost their flavours. Here, Kabinetts behave much like the dry wines outlined above. Don’t be fooled: despite their light body, these slender marvels age splendidly and present some of the most otherworldly drinking when they are mature. Spätlesen simply intensify. Fresh peach turns into peach compote; what is sweet becomes mellower; and texturally, they may even attain some viscosity, while aromas become lifted, like citrus oil and herb extract.

Rieslings with botrytis influence, or from really concentrated dried or frozen grapes, (e.g. Auslese, BA, TBA and Eiswein) are super-concentrated in their youth. While they can be beguiling to taste when young with their notes of honey, honeycomb, citrus oil, candied fruit and marmalade, these notions intensify with age, and the sweetness that is so present at first recedes and seems to be swallowed up into an ever more viscous texture. Real, almost sinus-clearing lift will appear and be reminiscent of herb tincture, citrus essence and oil, with overtones of smoke, cured meat, beeswax and candle wax. These should really be enjoyed with a decade of bottle age.

Rieslings that do not age well are rare: they all evolve, become more textured, but those that were dull in youth will not suddenly develop brilliance. Closures can make a lot of difference, and some imperfect corks will mar a wine, even if it is not cork taint that spoils it. Slightly oxidised Riesling can have notions of the leftover cold broth, or a muddy dullness.

With German Riesling as a whole, it is impossible to nominate a region that ages best. There is simply no hard and fast rule here, other than that body weight will remain while the Riesling evolves. What determines ageing is the quality and composition of the grapes which in turn is determined by farming, and the careful and artisanal handling of the grapes in the cellar. Rieslings that underwent ageing on lees will age better than Rieslings that were rushed and taken off their lees. And generally the most concentrated Rieslings – even when we are talking about Kabinett – age best. Better vintages will age longer than middling vintages – but the exception always proves the rule.

When it comes to storage, Riesling underlies the same rules as every other wine. Store it in a cool, dark place with a constant temperature between 11° and 14°C. It is best to store corked bottles on their side, to avoid the cork drying out. If you do not have an underground cellar, a wine fridge will do the job. If your storage place has unusually high humidity, protect the labels with cling film to enable you to identify the bottles. Rieslings under screwcap age as well as corked Rieslings, sometimes even better – as Australia has proven time and again.