Why Riesling is the greatest white wine grape

After a long hiatus due to the blessed birth of our first child (a son), I'm back to rant and rave.

So, with all due respect to the Burgundians, certain California products (Ramey, Marcassin) and the top Aussies, it must be certainly true that riesling is the greatest white wine grape. Why, you ask? I can think of maybe 8-10 reasons in support of this declaration which I will detail below. Now I am hardly revolutionary in this assertion. I have read several articles written by professionals who share my assessment. But let me detail why I believe this to be so.

1. Good riesling grows just about anydamnwhere. There is a reason why they are not growing chardonnay in the upper regions of the Nahe or Mosel in Germany. That vine will not grow there, at least not survive and produce world-class wines of any distinction. Yet in this area where hard winters would devastate a chardonnay vineyard, riesling grows, nay, thrives. Riesling also appears to ripen fully in these short growing season, cold areas. Now I am not an enologist and I cannot tell you to what extent vines are harmed by hard winters but it must be that the vine works well in these conditions or it would never have been grown for hundreds of years in these cold areas.
2. Riesling makes great wines in all types of styles. There is no grape, white or red, in which the skilled vintner can make world class in steely bone dry, round dry, off-dry, moderately sweet, sweet and sticky botritised styles. I suppose the grape that comes closest in terms of this schizophrenic behavior is chenin blanc, which also swings across many styles. But chenin blanc still has limitations, which riesling does not seem to have.
3. Riesling makes world-class wines around the world. Okay, here is a partial list of great riesling producing wines around the world...Germany, Austria, Australia, California, Washington state, New York state France and I even believe South Africa is getting into the act. I would be surprised if New Zealand, Argentina, Chile and other areas do not get into the act if they have not already. Now it is certainly true that many of these areas have had success with chardonnay. But cold areas like Germany and Austria cannot grow good chardonnay...period. It just will not ripen in those climes nor will the vines survive the harsh winters.
4. Great Riesling is cheap when compared to top chardonnay. Come one, this is not even a contest. Absolutely awesome German spatleesen and ausleesen wines made in fabulous years often go for under $30. Try finding any well-heeled or highly rated white Burgundy or Napa Chardonnay for under $100. White burgundy is most acute in this, ripping off the consumer on a daily basis. But it is truly true that riesling is nearly free when compared with similar quality chardonnay. Further, at low price points, chardonnay can be flabby, flat and uninteresting. On the other hand, great riesling can be had for under $10.
5. Riesling don't need no damn oak to make it taste good. Vintners would argue that the reason their chardonnay is so expensive is due to their ubiquitous use of "new French oak" to improve the wine. I say if it needs new French oak to taste good, why don't you just give me an oak chip to suck on. Great wines, while improved with aging and vinification techniques, should also be able to stand alone as a great wine. Riesling, which is generally aged in stainless or large neutral wood tanks, does this while chardonnay often needs additional "help" to reach the top. Sure, the oak is nice, but all serious wine drinkers have encountered the well-rated chardonnay where the after harvest treatment gives more of the flavor profile then the grape itself. For purity of the grape in the glass, riesling has it all over chardonnay.
6. Dessert rieslings are amongst the longest lived wines...period. Along with great Sauternes, Port and arguably certain red Bordeaux, top rieslings age for 100 or more years and actually improve during this period. While the best chardonnay can stand some bottle age, most will not take longer than 10 years in the bottle before they lose their zip.
7. Great dry and off dry rieslings compliment food better than top notch chardonnays (with the exception of Chablis, perhaps). Riesling loves food, especially cuisine that is thought to ruin most wines (especially chardonnay) such as Thai, Chinese and even Mexican. A well-educated, smart consumer can select a style of riesling to compliment just about any dish with possible exception of a big old steak. And only an old lady or a jerkoff drinks chardonnay with a big old steak. It is a rule, you must drink a big red with your bloody steak unless you have an allergy to red wine. For that, save the riesling for dessert.
8. Great riesling reflects terrior at least as well if not better than chardonnay. Let's face it, chardonnay is amongst the most manipulated grapes there is. Using techiques such as heavy oak application, malolactic fermentation, cold stabilization, acidification and de-alcing, vitners around the world manipulate chardonnay seeking a uniform, international style preferred by wine writers and perhaps some consumers, especially those who buy labels. I am aware of no such machinations taken seeking the "internationalization" of riesling. It is true that riesling is often chapitilized (sugar added) legally in areas such as Alsace and Germany because short and cold growing seasons often prevent full maturation of the grape. But that hardly affects the flavors positively, more likely, it represents a wine that the vintner has declassified and is just trying to make into a simple table wine, hence not really part of this discussion. And while certainly any well made wine will require vinification techniques to improve flavors or stabilize the wine, compared to chardonnay, riesling almost makes itself. I would argue that riesling is a truer expression of terrior than most chardonnays.
9. Riesling is more interesting than chardonnay. While truly great chardonnay unfolds in many layers, it's flavor profile is still rather narrowly defined, no matter where in the world you grow it. I will allow that some areas have added new flavor components to the stock buttery, slate, caramel, oaky, smokey flavor profile that typically describes chardonnay. Australia, which gets a citrus flavor in its chardonnay, comes to mind as an example of this. But riesling really has a much greater defined flavor profile than this. Perfume, slate, floral, citrus, botritis, unctous - these are just a few of terms describing riesling. This is especially true when you consider the different flavors that emerge across the sweetness spectrum of riesling.

So for my money, I believe that the noble Riesling is truly the greatest white wine grape. Let me know if you agree.