Best-of lists · Top 5

Top 5 great Rieslings for value

The VDP's Große Gewächse now mostly cost between €40 and well over €100, yet within this category price and quality vary considerably. At the same time, some top estates bottle Ortsweine and Gutsweine from old vines or top sites that reach GG level in critics' ratings at a fraction of the price. This selection brings both together: two old-vine Rieslings from the Saar and Ruwer at around €20 to €25, and three Große Gewächse from the Nahe, Rheinhessen and the Rheingau which, at around €54 to €69, achieve ratings in the range of considerably more expensive top wines.

Home of Riesling editorial team · researched on 24 September 2026 · prices as of 24 September 2026

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1
Karthäuserhof · Ruwer · 2023

Eitelsbacher Riesling Alte Reben trocken

dry12 %around €25

Why it's on the list: An Ortswein from vines around 50 years old in the Karthäuserhofberg monopole, which Falstaff, with 93 and 94 points respectively, places at a level that many Große Gewächse do not reach. It shows the cool, taut Ruwer style in dry form.

Summarised from the press reviews

Ripe stone fruit such as mirabelle plum and vineyard peach, together with citrus zest, floral tones and a cool, spicy undertone of wet stone. The palate is dry, with lively acidity, a noticeable mineral drive and remarkable depth for an Ortswein; the finish is long and fresh.

Value for money: For around €22 to €25 you get site character from one of Germany's most famous monopole vineyards – the GG from the same hill costs €60 from the estate, and the gap in critics' ratings is considerably smaller than the gap in price.

Pair with: Veal sweetbreads, halibut or mushroom risotto

Wine profile → · Karthäuserhof estate →
2
Van Volxem · Saar · 2023

Van Volxem Riesling »Alte Reben« trocken

dry12 %around €19.90

Why it's on the list: The old-vine Riesling from steep Saar sites is the entry point to Van Volxem's dry, dense style and is rated 93 points by both Vinous and Wine Advocate – scores otherwise reserved for single-site wines.

Summarised from the press reviews

Citrus peel on the nose, herbs such as camomile and yarrow, ripe yellow fruit and a smoky, mineral tone. The palate is dense and almost silky, carried by fine, crystalline acidity and a spicy slate drive; a Riesling with more substance than you would expect from a Gutswein.

Value for money: At around €18 to €20 this is no Großes Gewächs, but it is one of the least expensive routes to genuine Saar depth; anyone who knows the estate's single-site GGs will find their signature here at a third of the price.

Pair with: Steamed fish, poached poultry or veal in a light sauce

Wine profile → · Van Volxem estate →
3
Emrich-Schönleber · Nahe · 2023

Monzinger Frühlingsplätzchen Riesling Großes Gewächs

drylimited12,5 %around €54

Why it's on the list: The ‘smaller’ of the two famous Monzingen GGs usually stands in the shadow of the Halenberg, yet in 2023 it earned 98 points from James Suckling and 95 from Vinous – at a price below that of many similarly rated GGs.

Summarised from the press reviews

A layered nose of stone fruit, mandarin and lemon, with blossom and herbal notes such as mint and bay. The palate is dense and powerful, with a salty, peppery minerality from red slate and quartzite; a GG that in its youth shows power rather than playfulness.

Value for money: At around €54 the wine sits mid-range among GG prices, while its ratings reach into the top group; to be fair, Wine Advocate considers the 2023 vintage somewhat less refined than usual, but the value for money remains very good.

Pair with: Pike-perch with beurre blanc, roast guinea fowl or saddle of veal

Wine profile → · Emrich-Schönleber estate →
4
Wittmann · Rheinhessen · 2024

Westhofener Kirchspiel Riesling Großes Gewächs

dry12 %around €69

Why it's on the list: Wittmann's Morstein costs more, but in the cool 2024 vintage the Kirchspiel, grown on clay and limestone, earned 94+ Falstaff, 96 Suckling and 96 Vinous points – a top biodynamic GG from Rheinhessen just below the €70 mark.

Summarised from the press reviews

Still very reserved on the nose in its youth, with lemon, chervil, white peach and a faintly leesy undertone. The palate is cool, finely creamy and yet firmly built: a little phenolic grip, chalky acidity and a salty limestone streak give it length. A precise, rather slender Kirchspiel that should only really open up after a few years in bottle.

Value for money: €69 is no bargain price, but similarly highly rated top GGs often cost considerably more. The 2024 does demand patience, though: leave it for a few years and you get a great deal of site character and ageing potential for your money.

Pair with: Veal cheeks, turbot with herb butter or mature Comté

Wine profile → · Wittmann estate →
5
Peter Jakob Kühn · Rheingau · 2023

Oestrich Doosberg Riesling Großes Gewächs

dry11,5 %around €59

Why it's on the list: Farmed biodynamically, spontaneously fermented and aged for 16 months in large oak casks, the Doosberg GG received 96+ Falstaff points and embodies the Kühn family's uncompromisingly dry, salty Rheingau style.

Summarised from the press reviews

Herbal, spicy and mineral on the nose, with lemon balm, liquorice, yellow peach and delicate blossom. The palate is taut and linear, with citrusy acidity, a creamy underpinning and a salty, spicy finish; at 11.5% alcohol and 3.6 g/l residual sugar, a decidedly slender, purist GG style.

Value for money: At €59 from the estate it sits at the upper end of this selection, but it is readily available and fairly priced for a GG with this rating and ageing potential; anyone looking for top Rheingau wine often pays more for comparable reviews.

Pair with: Char or trout, asparagus with brown butter, boiled veal (Kalbstafelspitz)

Wine profile → · Peter Jakob Kühn estate →

Scores and quotes come from the critics and magazines named, each with a link to the source. Prices are approximate at the time of research.