To the initiated, nothing compares to Riesling. No other white grape combines such intensity and ageability with the ability to translate terroir to the glass. Great Riesling is delicious in youth, piercing in acidity, vibrant in fruit and engaging without being heavy, yet as these wines age they take on a new personality, hugely complex, with those that have residual sugar absorbing sweetness in favour of growing intensity. And all this is done with modest and often low alcohol. There is a precision and energy to great Riesling that few other wines can match, which is why many collectors consider it the world’s greatest white grape variety.

It is not just the variety that holds such great appeal. Particularly in Germany, growers have spent generations farming steep vineyards and making incredible wines that reflect the impressive array of terroirs along the rivers that cut through the country's hilly landscape. The climate here is still marginal for growing grapes, but recent climate change has allowed producers to make better wines more often, without losing the unique style these wines can offer from an array of stony, rocky and slate-led soils.

Producers like Egon Muller, J.J. Prum, von Schubert and Zilliken are reference points for quality for white wine around the world. Defined by balance, precision and a moreish, appetising freshness, they are not weighed down by heat, wood or heavy textures. The purity and restraint make each bottle easy to finish, and never dull. Despite the quality, Riesling remains one of the few categories where world-class producers still offer extraordinary value. While Burgundy's price inflation seemingly never ends, these outstanding wines are available for a fraction of the price.

We have what we think is an unparalled selection of mature wines from these producers available as below.  All wines are lying with us at our Melksham bond.