2012 Riesling Smaragd Steinriegl

Wine Details
Producer

Rudi Pichler

Place of Origin

Austria

Wösendorf

Wachau

Color

White

Grape/Blend

Riesling

Reviews & Tasting Notes

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Drinking Window

2015 - 2023

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The last couple times I have seen Rudi Pichler, the first words on his lips were about the Achleiten site in Weissenkirchen. Two years ago, he was able to purchase a small parcel of Riesling with 70-year-old vines. Recently, he leased an even older neighboring block of Grüner Veltliner. Together, these two new arrows in his quiver have given this estate, which has long been one of my favorite smaller producers in the Wachau, a strike force beyond the Hochrain and Kollmütz vineyards that were long his best.

While the long, cold winter and berry shatter at flowering limited his yields in 2013, he is understandably pleased with the quality. Given the lively acidity levels of his grapes, he reduced the duration of his cold soaks, but all of the Smaragds were crushed by foot--a practice not often seen in Austria--in order to have better extraction with less bitterness. While Pichler says that the 2013 Rieslings were difficult at the outset, they were showing beautifully when I tasted them in February.

“I am still not sure if 2013 is a better vintage for Riesling or Grüner Veltliner,” he told me, “but both will age gracefully.” I rate these bone-dry wines highly but they need time.

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This has long been one of my favorite smaller producers in the Wachau, seldom making even 100,000 bottles a year from his 12 hectares of vineyards. Since Pichler returned home after a stint in California, he has always shunned botrytis and has endeavored to make wines that are pure and expressive. They still are that, but they have also grown richer and more unctuous. Not only has Pichler made no Steinfeder since 2008, his Smaragds also have more flesh than they once did. In 2011, he did not much suffer the problems with phenolics that were common in that warm, dry vintage, but his 2012s, which he describes as something between the excellent 2005 and 2006 vintages, are also not as "light, juicy and refreshing" as he would like us to believe. But they are bone-dry. As you will see below, I rate them highly, but they no longer have the immediate gregarious drinkability that they once did. Will they age better? I am not yet sure. Interestingly, Pichler started doing foot treading in 2012 in order to get better extraction with less bitterness. (www.rudipichler.at) Also recommended: 2012 Gruner Veltliner Federspiel (87), 2011 Gruner Veltliner Federspiel (86), 2012 Riesling Federspiel (87), 2011 Riesling Federspiel (86).