When to drink an Alsace Riesling?
Alsace · indicative values: the producer, the vintage and storage conditions come first.
Alsace Riesling
White: the drinking window
Recommended ageing: 3 to 18 years after the vintage.
For example, a 2020 Alsace Riesling drinks best between 2023 and 2040, with a peak plateau around 2029-2037.
Vintage by vintage
A great year outlives an average one: the window moves with the vintage. The most recent rated years in Alsace, applied to the ageing for Alsace Riesling given above.
| Vintage | Rating | Drink |
|---|---|---|
| 2022 | Great | 2025–2042 |
| 2021 | Average | 2024–2036 |
| 2020 | Great | 2023–2040 |
| 2019 | Great | 2022–2039 |
| 2018 | Great | 2021–2038 |
| 2017 | Great | 2020–2037 |
| 2016 | Great | 2019–2036 |
| 2015 | Outstanding | 2018–2037 |
| 2013 | Good | 2016–2031 |
| 2012 | Great | 2015–2032 |
| 2010 | Great | 2013–2030 |
| 2009 | Great | 2012–2029 |
The full history, back to the older vintages: Alsace.
How to read this window
Before the window opens, the wine is in its youth: fruit dominates, tannins or acidity can feel stern. During the peak plateau, everything falls into balance: this is the moment ageing prepares. Beyond it, the wine slowly declines: nothing unsafe, but the emotion fades. These are general benchmarks for the appellation, not a verdict on your bottle.
Curious where these numbers come from? The method is published in full: five levels from the estate down to the grape, corrected by the vintage and the bottle format.
Which dishes?
The classic pairings where Alsace Riesling is one of the safe bets:
- What wine with fish?
- What wine with salmon?
- What wine with sushi?
- What wine with spicy food?
- What wine with sauerkraut?
From the same region
Other appellations in Alsace, each with its own window:
- Alsace Gewurztraminer
- Alsace Pinot Gris
- Alsace Pinot Blanc
- Alsace Grand Cru
- Crémant d'Alsace
- Alsace Muscat
- Alsace Sylvaner
- Alsace Pinot Noir
What about your bottles?
Caviste computes this window for every bottle in your cellar: photograph the label, the sheet fills itself in (estate, vintage, appellation) and the app tells you when a bottle reaches its peak. Discover Caviste.
