Prager Steinriegl Riesling

Riesling Ried Steinriegl Federspiel 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.

Federspiel is a designation of ripeness for dry wines, a term used exclusively by members of the Vinea Wachau. Federspiel wines must be unchaptalized and fall between 11.5 and 12.5% ABV. The grapes are hand-harvested, typically in October, and are sent directly to press where they spontaneously ferment in stainless-steel tanks.

Steinriegl is planted to Riesling and is Prager’s only vineyard west of Weißenkirchen. The exceptionally steep, southwest-facing site has a cool mesoclimate due to its proximity to the forest, and its soil is a unique “kalksilikatmarmor,” a limestone silicate marble rarely found elsewhere in the Wachau. Bodenstein produces both an earlier-picked Federspiel and a later-picked Smaragd.

Prager Vineyards
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Acclaim
“Pronounced cassis nose, then a very straight and cool palate with a very bright and mineral acidity. Long, enormously refreshing finish.”
— James Suckling, Sep 2020
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Vineyard & Production Info
Vineyard name
Ried Steinriegl
Vineyard size
52 acres
Soil composition
Calcareous and Rocky
Elevation:
715-1,145 feet
Vines/acre:
2,680
Yield/acre:
2 tons
Exposure:
Southern / Southwestern
Year vineyard planted:
1949-1990
Harvest time:
October
First vintage of this wine:
1953
Bottles produced of this wine:
25,000
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Winemaking & Aging
Varietal composition:
100% Riesling
Fermentation container:
Stainless steel tanks
Length of alcoholic fermentation:
34 days
Fermentation temperature:
63 °F
Type of aging container:
Stainless steel tanks
Size of aging container:
4,000 L
Length of aging before bottling:
7 months
Age of Aging Container:
7 years
Length of bottle aging:
2 months
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Analytical Data
Alcohol:
12.5 %