Rudi Pichler Grüner Veltliner Ried Kollmütz Smaragd

Grüner Veltliner Ried Kollmütz Smaragd bottle image

Wine Description

Rudi Pichler is among the elite growers of the Wachau producing wines of precision, power, and longevity. Grüner Veltliner and Riesling make up 95% of the production with the remaining 5% shared between Weißburgunder and Roter Veltliner. Rudi Pichler belongs to the prestigious Vinea Wachau and vinifies under the strict parameters of their codex.

Yields are kept low between 30 and 35 hectoliters per hectare with botrytis carefully removed by hand.  Grapes are crushed by foot and receive between three and 36 hours of maceration on the skins. Vinification is entirely in stainless-steel tanks and malolactic fermentation is avoided.

Kollmütz is a terraced vineyard in Wösendorf sitting between 200 and 400 meters of elevation. The soils of Kollmütz developed from an ancient landslide resulting in chaotic layers of rock and boulders. The vineyard is particularly rich in magnesium and iron. Wines from Kollmütz are typically linear, dense, and intensely mineral in character.

Rudi Pichler Winery
Rudi Pichler Vineyards
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Acclaim
“The 2022 Grüner Veltliner Smaragd Kollmütz is picked in the core parcels of the Kollmütz in weathered paragneiss that roots can penetrate, picked from 55-to-80-year-old vines. Subtle smokiness on the nose leads to a serene palate with hints of fern-like, sage-like spice. The palate continues in this subtle fashion but opens up on the mid-palate with an immensely salty, herbaceous yeastiness, adding hay and pepper. This lovely slenderness and linearity just glide along—serene, elegant, bright and so salty, with an echo of white pepper.” — Vinous, Feb 2024
“I have heard gruner veltliner dismissed for supposedly not being elegant, but this is an extremely elegant example! Very complex nose of snow peas, green beans, wild herbs and green pepper. On the medium-bodied palate, this remarkable gruner veltliner has a discreet succulence, but what makes it amazing is the way it glides so gracefully over the palate, then splash lands in a deep pool of wet stone minerality. Underplayed power and concentration!”
— James Suckling, Sep 2023
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Vineyard & Production Info
Vineyard name
Ried Kollmütz
Vineyard size
103 acres
Soil composition
Gneiss and Rocky
Elevation:
726-1,188 feet
Vines/acre:
1800
Exposure:
Southern
Year vineyard planted:
1960-1970
Harvest time:
October-November
First vintage of this wine:
1971
Bottles produced of this wine:
5,000
Average Vine Age:
40+ years
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Winemaking & Aging
Prefermentation Technique:
Cold soak
Time on its skins:
6-12 hours
Varietal composition:
100% Grüner Veltliner
Fermentation container:
Stainless steel tanks
Malolactic fermentation:
No
Fining agent:
Vegan
Type of aging container:
Stainless steel tanks
Length of aging before bottling:
5 months
Length of bottle aging:
1 month
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Analytical Data
pH level:
3.4
Acidity:
4.9 g/L
Alcohol:
13.5 %
Residual sugar:
2.9 g/L