One of the most widely believed misconceptions is that all German Rieslings are sweet. While it is certainly true that the trend for table Rieslings has in the past been on the sweeter side, like stone washed jeans and shell suits, not all fashions are a good idea. However, the tides are turning, and one producer stands head and shoulders above the pack; Carl Van Schubert. Making bone-dry, crisply defined and beautifully balanced wines, Von Schubert is the people’s choice when it comes to Riesling.

Recognised as the apotheosis of Riesling, Von Schubert is an estate with a past. The vineyards have been in place since at least 661 when a Benedictine monastery stood on the land. This continued more or less until 1810 when Napoleon Bonaparte seized the estate. In 1881 the land went to auction and was acquired by the great-great-grandfather of the current owner. Since 1981 the Von Schubert estate has been managed by Carl, the sixth generation of the family.

Von Schubert has kept with tradition and continued cultivating the three historic Benedictine vineyards: Abstberg, Herrenberg and Bruderberg. Of these, Maximin Grunhauser Abstberg is the most well-known, probably because (as its name suggests), wines from this vineyard were served exclusively to the Abbot (or 'Abt'). Even though wines from Bruderberg have historically been the estates least favoured, climate change has had its (in this case welcome) effect and Bruderberg wines have started to gather a cult following, with some Riesling investors believing it will soon surpass the Abstberg in quality and longevity.

Incredibly good value for money, (bond prices in Germany were €50 for a half-case), growth of Maximin Grunhauser wines is stable: around 10% year on year between 2017 and 2019. 2015s Maximin Grünhäuser Herrenberg Riesling GG (90 points on aggregate scoring, including a 18.5/20 score by Jancis Robinson) far outstrips other 90-pointers (such as the 2013 or the 2016) and showed significant peaks in the same 2-month period. The sweeter wines have the longest ageing potential (ergo are the best investable option) and have prices to match. i.e.: Herrenberg Riesling Trockenbeerenauslese averages €2,171 per half-bottle.