The Kientzler Riesling Geisberg Grand Cru 2022 is a dry, tightly wound Alsace Riesling with citrus drive and a distinctly stony core. Grown on the limestone and sandstone of the Geisberg above Ribeauvillé, it has the concentration of a hot, dry season without losing its focus.

Lemon zest, white peach and grapefruit pith lead the aromatics, with a waft of crushed stone and dried ginger behind them. Air brings out something waxier and more floral, the sort of depth that only comes from ripe Riesling fruit grown on a steep site.

The palate is firm and linear, with acidity running the full length of the wine rather than arriving late. Texture comes from phenolic grip and a faint saline chew across the middle, and the finish is long, chalky and dry, closing on lime and bitter citrus peel rather than fruit sweetness. Warmth in the 2022 season shows as flesh and ripeness through the middle palate, not as heaviness.

Pour it with pan-fried snapper, Alsatian onion tart, roast pork with apple, or a plate of raw oysters and lemon. It also handles the ginger and lemongrass end of Thai and Vietnamese cooking better than most dry whites.

Drinking well from 2026, and this Grand Cru Geisberg Riesling has the acid and structure to hold and develop through to 2038 or beyond.