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 75cl107cs
Pulsating with an electric 7.9g/l of natural, refreshing tartaric acidity, this early drinking, feather-light Federspiel style of Riesling draws on the Steinriegl vineyard’s chalky and silicate-rich soils to give a white blossom expression. The palate purrs with cool talc and limestone texture and flavours, culminating in a wonderful dry, chalky finish.
Bottle
£30.00
Bottle 12 x 75cl1cs
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 75cl2cs
Bottle
£43.00
Bottle 12 x 75cl2cs
Bottle
£45.00
Bottle 12 x 75cl7cs
Bottle
£46.00
Bottle 12 x 75cl1cs
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 75cl11cs
Bottle 12 x 75cl2cs
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
£50.00
Bottle 6 x 75cl10cs
Medium to deep garnet-purple colored, the 2015 Riverside Grenache Shiraz Mataro offers notes of black raspberries, kirsch and mulberries with an earthy undercurrent and a waft of baking spices. The palate is soft, richly fruited and delivers plenty of pure, uncomplicated flavors with great harmony. Drink 2017–2025.
Lisa Perrotti-Brown, The Wine Advocate 229, 28th February 2017
Bottle 12 x 75cl2cs
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.