2001 Gruner Veltliner Smaragd Kellerberg

Pichler this year harvested throughout November and inx000D some parcels into December for both riesling and gruner veltliner, in order tox000D achieve full fruit and vineyard expression. The results are predictably impressive. Botrytis, he insists (as he did last year, and again with ample evidencex000D in bottle), was not problematic. Asx000D with his '99s, Pichler's 2001s display intense phenolic ripeness without everx000D threatening to go over the top in alcohol or sacrifice sheer juiciness, andx000D they wear their enormous extract with great poise. While riesling was clearly at an advantage region-wide this year,x000D don't tell that to gruner veltliner master Pichler or reference his 2001x000D collection in a vain effort to prove the point. (Vin Divino) Also recommended: 2001 Gruner Veltliner Federspiel Klostersatz, 2001 Riesling Smaragd Oberhauser.