Rudi Pichler

Grüner Veltliner Ried Hochrain Smaragd

Rudi Pichler

Grüner Veltliner Ried Hochrain Smaragd

The Pichler family has been making wine in the village of Wösendorf since at least the late 19th century. The original cellar building, more of a small stall than a winery, was purchased in 1884 and their first vineyards were planted in the town of Wosendorf in 1904. The modern winery was built in 2004 near Rudi´s private home. After some initial wanderlust and the pursuit of various other interests – academic and commercial – Rudolf Pichler IV returned to the family winery with a seed of an idea. He had no formal training other than his memories of his grandfather and his instincts for great wine.Smaragd is the Wachau designation for dry late harvest wines, above 12.5% alcohol through natural fermentation. 

Vines up to 50 years old, growing in weathered primitive rock and loess soils, yield a profound, archetypal Veltliner that is rich in extracts.

Tasting Notes

Pale lemon green with notes of grass, lemon, white grapefruit and stones. The wine is medium bodied and has steely minerality, complemented by subtle citrus fruit flavors.

Food Pairing

Pair with grilled tilapia, Chinese chicken salad, or zucchini gazpacho.

The Pichler family has been making wine in the village of Wösendorf since at least the late 19th century. The original cellar building, more of a small stall than a winery, was purchased in 1884 and their first vineyards were planted in the town of Wosendorf in 1904. The modern winery was built in 2004 near Rudi´s private home. After some initial wanderlust and the pursuit of various other interests – academic and commercial – Rudolf Pichler IV returned to the family winery with a seed of an idea. He had no formal training other than his memories of his grandfather and his instincts for great wine.Smaragd is the Wachau designation for dry late harvest wines, above 12.5% alcohol through natural fermentation. 

Vines up to 50 years old, growing in weathered primitive rock and loess soils, yield a profound, archetypal Veltliner that is rich in extracts.

Tasting Notes

Pale lemon green with notes of grass, lemon, white grapefruit and stones. The wine is medium bodied and has steely minerality, complemented by subtle citrus fruit flavors.

Food Pairing

Pair with grilled tilapia, Chinese chicken salad, or zucchini gazpacho.

Vineyard & Production Info

Vineyard name:
Hochrain
Soil composition:
Gneiss, Rocky, and Loess
Training method:
Cane-pruned
Elevation:
726-1,188 feet
Vines/acre:
1,800
Yield/acre:
1.2-2.16 tons
Exposure:
Southern
Year vineyard planted:
1970
Harvest time:
October-November

Winemaking & Aging

Varietal composition:
100% Grüner Veltliner
Fermentation container:
Stainless steel tanks
Length of alcoholic fermentation:
14 days
Fermentation temperature:
64-72 °F
Malolactic fermentation:
no
Fining agent:
Vegan
Type of aging container:
Stainless steel tanks
Size of aging container:
1000-5000L
Length of aging before bottling:
7 months
Length of bottle aging:
1 month

Analytical Data

Acidity:
5.3 g/L
Alcohol:
14 %
Residual sugar:
1.1 g/L

About the Vineyard

Hochrain ("High place") belongs to the village of Wosendorf and sits in the middle part of the Wachau valley between 200-300 meters of elevation. The vineyard consists of an unusually high content of loess with a layer of black earth on top. The rich mineral-laden soil is responsible for the character of its wines and produces Gruner Veltliner that is especially broad, rich and textural.