FX Pichler Gruner Veltliner Ried Steinertal Smaragd 2019 (750ML)

96 JS / 92+ WA

Super cool in every sense of the word, also thanks to the wonderful herbal complexity and very elegant balance. So bright, pure and precise, in spite of the considerable mineral power. Great aging potential. Drink or hold.—James Suckling

The 2019 Ried Steinertal Grüner Veltliner Smaragd is from weathered gneiss soils in a coolish vineyard. The fruit on the nose is pretty ripe and warm but precise and slightly flinty. Full-bodied, rich and intense, this is a powerful but fresh and finessed Steinertal with enormous concentration and sustainable length. The grapes were possibly picked some hours or days too late to present the freshness of the terroir this year, but with bottle age this will become less relevant. 13.5% alcohol. Tasted at the domain in June 2021.-Stephan Reinhardt, The Wine Advocate

Smaragd are the ripest wines that must contain at least 12.5% APV. Smaragd literally means "emerald". The maximum residual sugar level for these wines is 9 g/l.[4] This designation was first used in 1986, right after the diethylene glycol scandal and was intended to denote the highest quality level of Wachau wines. All grapes destined for this designation must attain at least 18.5°KMW and all finished wine must be sealed with a long natural cork that is at least 49mm long and branded with vintage year. From 2007, screwcaps are also allowed. The wines have to be aged in bottle and not released till after May 1 following harvest though some producers will age their inventory longer. Smaragd wines tend to be the most sought after and critically acclaimed Wachau wines with well-made examples from favorable vintages having the potential to age for more than 20 years. The symbol for this class is an emerald lizard that can found sunning itself on the stone terraces along the Danube.