Austrian Riesling vs French Riesling

What makes Riesling interesting? The acidity. What supports Riesling throughout the sip? The acidity. What do some people dislike about Riesling? The acidity. What must be discussed when talking about Riesling? Exactly, the acidity.

Acidity in Riesling

As Nick Jackson brilliantly states in “Beyond Flavor,” acidity in Riesling is the pivot around which all other elements of the wine revolve. It’s a variety that thrives in cold climates, where aromas develop slowly, just like the grape’s ripening season. These climates are perfect for imparting great acidity to the fruits that grow there.

While Chardonnay is a wine that develops in breadth, Riesling is vertical. The amount of residual sugar, the aromatic profile, and other elements can change, but the acidity remains constant and immovable. In this sense, Riesling is a solid, consistent wine, where the acidity is perceived from the attack – almost always very fresh – to the finish.

Acidity allows Rieslings to age well, even exceptionally, and it harmonizes perfectly with the citrus (lemon and lime), apricot, and flint notes of the variety. With aging, honey and petroleum notes can develop, but the freshness is maintained thanks to, well, you guessed it, the acidity.

This completeness and versatility of Riesling is why for some wine regions this variety is almost a religion. In Germany, Riesling is cultivated on just under 25% of the vineyard area, and 40% of the world’s Riesling is found here. In the Rheingau, 78% of the vines are Riesling. Almost a monoculture that might seem strange to Italian, French, or even Spanish eyes.

I decided to compare two great Rieslings I had in the cellar (as I have done in the past with Pinot Noir): a Kellerberg Riesling Smaragd from Tegernseerhof (Wachau, Austria) and a Riesling Alsace Grand Cru ‘Schoenenbourg’ from Meyer-Fonné (Alsace, France – whose Pinot Blanc had already impressed me). Here’s what one could theoretically expect from these wines.

Riesling in Austria

Austrian Riesling is in many ways similar to Grüner Veltliner, which is grown in the same areas. It shows very sharp and spicy acidity, like many Austrian wines. In Kamptal and Kremstal, you find crisp, vertical, and fresh wines, while in Wachau, the texture is oily and sometimes creamy. In a word: baroque.

In any case, Austrian Riesling is dry, medium-bodied or even dense, with excellent fruit concentration and characterized by enticing polyphenols. These are wines full of energy, with liveliness and freshness well integrated with the fruit.

The Wachau region, in particular, is known for its primarily primitive rock soils like gneiss and schist, which impart a pronounced verticality to the wines. These soils, along with viticulture on steep terraces, promote uniform ripening while maintaining good acidity.

Riesling in France

French Riesling is essentially Alsatian Riesling because it’s in the northeast of the country that ideal conditions exist for producing this grape. Just like in Austria, Alsatian Riesling develops wines with a strong polyphenolic component. These are wines with beautiful texture and good grip on the palate, which can even be creamy.

Especially the Alsatian Grand Crus are full-bodied and sometimes have a small residual sugar content. Very often, the alcohol level is high, reaching up to 14°. Like in Wachau, the resulting wines are baroque, with excellent fruit concentration, softness, and texture balanced by the ever-present acidity.

These are generous wines that often exhibit the much-discussed (and rightly so, because they are very interesting) petroleum notes. Smoky and rocky notes are also found. The color is intense, probably due to skin contact that imparts the polyphenols. However, they have a gentler acidity compared to Wachau wines, though they have much in common.

So we are talking about two very similar types of Riesling, which have in common:

• Pronounced acidity
• Creamy texture
• Medium-full body
• Polyphenolic structure
• Fruit concentration

So? Which Riesling impressed me more?

Kellerberg Riesling Smaragd 2022 – Tegernseerhof

Tasted on: 19/05/2024
Pairing: Fish skewers
Color: Golden yellow
Aromas: Cashew, apricot, thyme, lemon

Description: A “peacock wine” that presents itself in a truly expressive way, with an open but majestic nose. On the palate, it is dense and broad, with high but well-balanced acidity that accompanies the entire sip. It is juicy, with fantastic fruit concentration and clearly destined for a long life. On the palate, dried apricot, petroleum notes, and crushed warm stone emerge. The finish is long, saline, with orange notes evolving into rock notes.

It is a wine that fully shows its qualities, baroque like many excellent Austrian wines, but without losing linearity. The fruit density almost sticks to the palate, and this richness is supported by strong acidic structure. Excellent with fish skewers, as it blends into the bite and then reemerges with all its power.

Riesling Alsace Grand Cru ‘Schoenenbourg’ 2021 – Meyer-Fonné

Tasted on: 28/05/2024
Pairing: Pan-fried cod with beans and bok choy
Color: Golden yellow with straw reflections
Aromas: Linden flowers, overripe apple, vanilla, apricot

Description: An unusual acidity for a Riesling: a weak attack that then makes its way through the palate. Still good, but lacking consistency and concentration, like the entire wine. There are flavors and profiles, but they seem superficial, lacking the depth needed to leave a mark. On the palate, well-integrated wood and some citrus notes persist to the finish, where pear also emerges.

The texture is delightful, silky and rich, but this further highlights the lack of intensity. However, it pairs really well with food because it defines the flavor profile of the dish and gives a clearer shape to the bite.

In Conclusion

We took two Rieslings from two regions with many similarities in terms of the final product. The price is also not very different: €35 for the Alsatian (from the producer), €43 for the Austrian (from a retailer). Yet, the Wachau Riesling seemed much more convincing: it fills the spaces, shows multiple profiles and nuances, while maintaining a basic consistency given by the acidity. The Meyer-Fonné Riesling, while showing an appealing texture, seemed superficial, often uncertain in its aromas and character, made indecisive by weak and inconsistent acidity.

Back to where we started: acidity makes the Riesling.

For other great Rieslings, check out our comparison between Wachau and Kamptal Riesling. For another noteworthy Alsatian wine, read the review of Marcel Deiss’s Complantation 2022, an excellent producer later tasted at Pub Klemo, Vienna.