In the mid-1980s, a group of Rheingau growers got tired of the world thinking German Riesling meant sugar water, so they founded the Charta association and pledged to bottle Riesling in a taut off-dry style, savory and food-ready. Johannishof, run by the Eser family in Johannisberg for generations, has been in that camp from the start. The grapes come off quartzite and loess soils that keep the wine tight and structured rather than plush, and the fruit is picked ripe enough that the acidity has something to push against. It’s the sort of Riesling that gets better with a plate in front of it, and it will hold in the cellar for years if you have the patience. Consider it your gateway to the Rheingau.