Prager Wachstum Bodenstein Riesling

Riesling Wachstum Bodenstein Smaragd bottle image

Wine Description

Franz Prager, co-founder of the Vinea Wachau, had already earned a reputation for his wines when Toni Bodenstein married into the family. Bodenstein’s passion for biodiversity and old terraces, coupled with brilliant winemaking, places Prager in the highest echelon of Austrian producers.

Smaragd is a designation of ripeness for dry wines used exclusively by members of the Vinea Wachau. The wines must have minimum alcohol of 12.5%. The grapes are hand-harvested, typically in October and November, and are sent directly to press where they spontaneously ferment in stainless-steel tanks.

Wachstum, meaning “Growth” or “Cru,” is a nursery for Toni Bodenstein who planted 25 different nursery clones of Riesling 460 meters in elevation at the top of Hinter Seiber. When planted in 1990, the goal of Wachstum Bodenstein was to preserve biodiversity. First produced in 1993, it is now one of Prager’s most sought-after wines.

Prager Vineyards
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Acclaim
This seduces with perfumed peach, meadow blossom, dried apricot and lilac notes. Juicy and generous on the richly styled palate, with great purity and salty energy for balance. Succulent acidity keeps this pumping along and draws out the finish. Concentrated, complex and delicious. — Wine Spectator, Jun 2025
It’s hard to imagine how a dry riesling could be more graceful than this masterpiece of finesse and filigree. The precision of the flower- and white-fruit aromas is matched by the beauty of the wet-stone minerality on the medium-bodied palate. The almost endless finish makes you feel like you’re floating on a cloud, looking down into the Danube Valley. — James Suckling, Nov 2024
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Vineyard & Production Info
Vineyard name
Wachstum Bodenstein (Ried Hinter Seiber)
Vineyard size
2 acres
Soil composition
Paragneiss
Elevation:
1,509 feet
Vines/acre:
2,720
Yield/acre:
1.6 tons
Exposure:
Southern
Year vineyard planted:
1990
Harvest time:
November
First vintage of this wine:
1993
Bottles produced of this wine:
6,000
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Winemaking & Aging
Varietal composition:
100% Riesling
Fermentation container:
Stainless steel tanks
Length of alcoholic fermentation:
35 days
Fermentation temperature:
64 °F
Type of aging container:
Stainless steel tanks
Length of aging before bottling:
7 months
Length of bottle aging:
2 months
Total SO2
130
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Analytical Data
Acidity:
7.4 g/L
Alcohol:
13.5 %
Dry extract:
28 g/L
Total SO2
130
Residual sugar:
6 g/L