2017 Cave de Ribeauville Riesling Osterberg Alsace Grand Cru 750 ml

On the heels of our first-ever allocation from the oldest cooperatively owned winery in France, we made it very clear to the importer: When Cave de Ribeauvillé’s Riesling Osterberg Grand Cru makes it to the US, we better get the first call. 

We were smiling when we said it, but we were also dead serious.

That’s because Cave de Ribeauvillé’s Riesling Osterberg is a bottle we want to share with every wine lover we know. It’s more than a total steal for Grand Cru Riesling. It’s one of the most flat-out delicious white wines you can imagine, and it delivers the kind of world-class complexity and character you expect in wines that cost three digits. 

We’d drink the Osterberg Riesling every day if I could, but the thing holding me back isn’t the price—it’s that there’s such a scant amount in the US. But today, from one of the most blessed plots in all of France, we’ve got this paragon of white wine excellence, and it’s just $39.

One sip of this wine and you’ll know why, no matter where their palate began, all kinds of wine lovers gravitate to Riesling. It opens with aromas of white peach, Kaffir lime, honeysuckle, wild thyme, and crushed stones. The palate is focused and taut, with racy acidity and citrus flavors accented with wild herbs, which linger through a bone-dry, mineral-laden finish. It’s both fascinating and refreshing now, but will add honeyed depth and even greater complexity over the next couple of decades. 

Famed since the Middle Ages, when it was owned by the Lords of Ribeaupierre, the Osterberg Grand Cru vineyard is located in the heart of Alsace, outside the town of Ribeauvillé. The site is heavy in clay and limestone, and its sloping, southeastern exposure works in tandem with the region’s evening winds, known as tahl wendala. The sun bathes the grapes while the breezes cool them, slowing the ripening process to a state of steady, balanced perfection. 

Philippe Traber leads the 125-year-old Cave de Ribeauvillé, and even in Alsace—which is home to many renowned Riesling producers—the co-op stands out. Wine Enthusiast even called it a “star in a crowded sky.” It’s one of the hidden treasures of France, and I view the Cave de Ribeauvillé name as a kind of secret signal: When we see it on a restaurant list, we usually expect a great meal, because it’s proof-positive that the place knows what they’re doing.

We are so thrilled to share this exhilarating wine with you today. It’s a Riesling that will delight you now and pay dividends in the cellar, so we recommend you stock up while we’ve got it.