Jean Boxler is somewhat of a perfectionist. If a wine doesn’t meet his exacting standards—standards passed from one generation to the next and formed by the collective experience of decades of vintages—he’ll sell it to the local winery co-op, so the fact that this particular bottling exists at all is a pretty good indication that it’s something special. Boxler intended to make a vendange tardive, or late-harvest wine, which requires leaving grape bunches on the vine much longer than usual, but the conditions have to be just right. Unfortunately for him (and perhaps fortunately for us), an impending storm forced him to pick early. Though the fruit wasn’t quite right for a vendange tardive, it was still of exceptional quality. It was from the coveted Dudenstein parcel in the heart of the grand cru Sommerberg vineyard to boot, so he decided to bottle it as a demi-sec —a French term meaning “half-dry”—instead. And after several years resting quietly in bottle, here it is. The first pour is dominated by the classic petrol notes of aged Riesling, but aromas of honey, beeswax, and golden apple soon emerge. The palate is round and silky, the finish long and lingering, yet lightened by Riesling’s inherent freshness. Each sip invites another, and another; it’s a rare gift from an uncompromising domaine.

Félix Meyer knows where to find the wild strawberries. Walking with him, you experience his deep knowledge of the land, like how his use of cover crops depends not only on the vineyard’s soil type but also on the grape variety planted there, or how his Riesling grown on the grand cru Kaefferkopf vineyard’s mix of clay, limestone, and sandstone gets richer as it ages, gaining weight and power in the glass. Plus, the strawberries provide a tasty energy boost when hiking steep Alsatian vineyards. Vintage 2021 was a year for racy Rieslings, and right now this wine has a taut elegance, bristling with citrus and green apple. After some time in the glass, though, the tension releases, revealing a lusher texture and a tantalizing glimpse of what patient aging has in store.

Ostertag’s biodynamically farmed, hand-harvested Riesling Les Jardins is dry, stony, and a little bit savory. Sometimes you just need a straightforward, delicious bottle of white wine to satisfy your thirst and brighten your meal. This is it.