Emile Beyer Riesling Eguisheim 2016 Alsace, France 75cl

Emile Beyer is a long-standing family estate in the picture-book Alsace village of Eguisheim, where the Beyers have grown vines since 1580 across some fourteen generations, today led by Christian Beyer.

This dry Riesling comes from vineyards on the hillside above the village, planted on limestone and marl soils that give the wine its cut and its stony backbone. The estate is certified organic, having made the conversion in 2014, and the wine is made simply, with a gentle press, native-yeast fermentation and several months resting on its fine lees to add depth without masking the fruit.

The 2016 vintage in Alsace is well regarded for whites, combining ripeness with fresh acidity, exactly the balance a fine dry Riesling needs.

Expect an aromatic nose of lime and ripe orchard fruit with a hint of brioche from the lees ageing, then a dry, precise palate where citrus and green apple meet a clear, mineral, wet-stone finish. It is taut and refreshing rather than rich.

Riesling like this is a wonderfully versatile food wine, at home with river fish, seafood, roast chicken and the choucroute and tarts of its Alsace homeland. For anyone exploring serious, terroir-driven whites, this is a rewarding and honest introduction.