Wachau
The sweeping, steep terraces of the Wachau, in Lower Austria, on the northern banks of the Danube, an hour’s drive west from Vienna, are home to Austria’s greatest dry white wines.
Here Riesling and Grüner Veltliner excel in producing wines of startling purity and pristine intensity. The climate changes slightly to produce the warmer, richer wines around Dürnstein and Loiben, to steely yet opulent wines around Spitz.
Recommended Producers
Toni Bodenstein of Weingut Prager epitomises the former, whilst Franz and Irmgard Hirtzberger’s vineyards are the ultimate expression of the latter. The region uses a unique system of classification to indicate the level of ripeness at harvest. Steinfeder is the lightest, with an alcohol of around 10%, then Federspiel, which must not exceed 12% and finally Smaragd, named after an emerald green lizard found in the vineyards, which are assertive, late-harvested wines, but fermented to dryness.
Prices:
Bottle
£17.75
Bottle 12 x 75cl 80cs
Wines from this grower tend to get better with age and this one is no exception. Possessing wonderfully complex aromatics of pineapple, lime, orange blossom and spice, it has a juicy acidity and purity of fruit that lingers on the palate. Drink from now to 2022.
Fiona Hayes, Buyer.
Bottle
£28.00
Bottle 6 x 75cl 14cs
Undisputed Grüner specialists and leading producer in the Wachau, F.X. Pichler dates back to 1898. In the early 1970s Franz Xaver (F.X.) Pichler took over the helm at the estate and his meticulous approach to production earned him cult status in Austria. Today the estate is run by his son, Lucas. The family firmly believes in the potential of Grüner Veltliner which makes up half of their production (the rest being Riesling, with a touch of Sauvignon Blanc).
This cooler site in the Wachau gives the full and rich FX Pichler style a core of chalky minerality. The acidity is fine and layers with white pepper and stone fruit.
Bottle
£29.95
Bottle 6 x 75cl 21cs
Emmerich Knoll’s winery in Unterloiben is one of Austria’s most famous wine-growing estates. With this Riesling he’s produced an intense wine with a stony mineral and saline core. Definition comes with white floral and citrus notes. While there is generous length at the end.
Fiona Hayes, Buyer.
Bottle
£33.00
So feminine, so refined and softly spoken, Kellerberg Riesling reflects the granite, loess and some alluvial deposits that soak up the south-east facing aspect to give us this sylph-like Riesling; a wine that's been sensitively and traditionally reared in large old oak barrels. It’s a joy to drink even now, along with some freshly smoked brown trout. This wine will improve over the years to come, but it’s already gorgeous, lacy, limey, velvety, with smoothness that comes from the loess component in the soils.
Bottle
£35.00
Bottle 6 x 75cl 10cs
Situated on a vertiginous slope high above the Danube, this is arguably Nikolaihof's top site. It combines power and finesse in a remarkable weave of complexity. This is a notably rich and textured wine, but one boasting great delicacy as well as intense flavours of lime, pear and white pepper. A superbly balanced wine that shows marked mid-palate weight and a very, very long finish.
Bottle
£38.95
Bottle 12 x 75cl 2cs
Bottle
£45.00
Bottle 12 x 75cl 6cs
Bottle
£46.00
Bottle 12 x 75cl 1cs
With lofty intent, the 4.5-hectare Klaus vineyard stands high above the Danube valley, looking down on the sites below. No wonder then that in 2013, it should thrill with racy, high-toned fruit. It struts with fantastic lemon sherbet pulse; so juicy, so pure. For once it seems to have revelled in the cooler, late-harvest vintage, responding with charm. Just check that outrageous saltiness on the finish. This is a very dry wine, with a mere three grams of residual sugar offset by 8.1 grams of natural acidity! Stunning. Drink now to 2028.
Bottle
£48.00
Bottle 12 x 75cl 11cs
Nikolaihof dates back almost 2,000 years to Roman times and is the oldest wine estate in Austria. Today a combination of tradition and strict adherence to biodynamic principles lie at the heart of the winemaking philosophy. The results are wines that express pure varietal character and a distinct sense of place.
The 2015 vintage provided Nikolaihof with wonderfully clean and healthy Gruner Veltliner fruit. This Federspiel enjoys extended time on its lees in large, old-wood casks, which adds complexity and texture to the mid-palate. Aromatically, it is fresh and bright, with hints of wax and fl¬orals. The palate hints at apricot kernel and greengage, with fresh acidity lifting and lengthening the finish.