2014 Riesling Smaragd Kellerberg

It had been nineteen years since this estate last bottled a wine dedicated to the Schütt vineyard as Federspiel, a measure of how rare it has been in recent times for Wachau grapes to be found wanting in sugar. And both Knolls are quick to confirm the impression recorded by so many of their colleagues that in 2014, even more exceptionally, ample ripeness in flavor had in most sites been achieved by early October before the grapes reached must weights typical for Federspiel, much less for Smaragd. That said, the usual number of Riesling Smaragd bottlings were rendered, albeit in small volumes, and only those of Grüner Veltliner were abbreviated. “We harvested and sorted through Grüner Veltliner all along,” notes Emmerich Knoll Junior, “but by the time we got to Riesling, after having done pre-harvest culling, there had been some improvement in the weather and things were a bit drier and windier.” “Our Grüner Veltliner tended to have more compact clusters,” adds Knoll Senior, pointing to a contrast this year with many of his fellow growers. “These trapped moisture and rendered them more susceptible to rain than the looser clusters of Riesling. This may have to do with the flowering. When Grüner Veltliner flowers less successfully, its clusters are looser. In our case, you might say that the Grüner Veltliner flowered over-optimally,” he concludes with a chuckle. Needless to say in light of my tasting notes, don’t look to this address for confirmation of the generality that Grüner Veltliner outperformed Riesling in 2014! Despite relatively late harvest, acid levels in Riesling were still in many instances higher on paper than the Knolls would normally wish, but they wisely refrained from adjusting any. With the exception of a Riesling Vinothekfüllung, the Smaragd ended up between 12.5% and 13% alcohol, and all exhibit vintage-characteristic buoyancy.