2011 Riesling Smaragd Kellerberg

Emmerich Knoll is one not only one of grand old men of the Austrian wine scene, he is also one of the most humble. The winery is still in a quiet side street of the village that the family calls home. The only thing here that might strike some people as ostentatious is the label, but perhaps only because, in its own baroque way, it is one of the most old-fashioned. Today, two of Knoll's children, Emmerich and August, work their 17 hectares of vineyard with him, but for most collectors his face is synonymous with the estate. Although he has some stainless steel tanks, most of the winemaking is as traditional as the label, done in large oak casks. Both father and sons are very pleased with the past two vintages, each of which was warm and relatively dry and had little or no botrytis. "The 2012s are not quite so alcoholic, though," said Knoll Sr., "because the ripeness levels did not soar at the end of harvest as they did in 2011." As his coveted Vinothekfüllung is produced from overripe grapes, the question of richness in a given wine is one that each consumer must answer for himself. I generally prefer the more structured Schütt, which he indicates is always the wine that is sold out first. You can also find more mature wines, though, in his uncle's restaurant across the road, which is one of the best places to eat in the Wachau. As the finest wines were only bottled in August, many of the 2012s below were tasted from cask. (www.loibnerhof.at) Also recommended: 2012 Loibenberg Riesling Federspiel (86), 2012 Steiner Pfaffenberg Riesling Kabinett (87), 2012 Loibener Grüner Veltliner Federspiel (87), 2012 Loibener Traminer (90).