Rudi Pichler Riesling Ried Hochrain Smaragd

Riesling Ried Hochrain Smaragd bottle image

Wine Description

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.

Documented as early as 1050, the site in Wösendorf, at the foot of the Hochrain, is influenced by the sediment and stone soils of its highly situated vineyards, producing wines with a dense mineral texture and fine fruity flavors. Smaragd is the Wachau designation for dry late harvest wines, above 12.5% alcohol through natural fermentation.  The best smaragd wines can age well for decades. 

Rudi Pichler Winery
Rudi Pichler Vineyards
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Acclaim
“The 2015 Riesling Smaragd Wösendorfer Hochrain displays a smoky and stony bouquet. On the palate, this is a just-ripe and tightly woven Riesling with power, salt and tension. Very stimulating its grip.”
— Wine Advocate, Jun 2016
“A gorgeous nose offers ripe pear garlanded in diverse, bittersweetly perfumed flowers and tinged with bracingly mineral ocean breeze. A vintage-typical suggestion of honeydew melon emerges on the polished, expansive palate, balanced by soothing and cooling green herbal essences. And as with the corresponding Grüner Veltliner, deep, loess-dominated soil here probably contributes to an unusually juicy and animated performance for the vintage. A long finish mouthwateringly and intriguingly reprises the alkaline, saline maritime themes that were introduced in the nose, with hints of crushed stone and lime zest enhancing the sense of invigoration.”
— David Schildknecht, Feb 2017
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Vineyard & Production Info
Vineyard name
Hochrain
Soil composition
Gneiss, Rocky, and Sand
Training method
Cane-pruned
Elevation:
726-1,188 feet
Vines/acre:
1.8
Yield/acre:
1.2-2.16 tons
Exposure:
Southern / Southwestern
Harvest time:
November
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Winemaking & Aging
Varietal composition:
100% Riesling
Fermentation container:
Stainless steel tanks
Length of alcoholic fermentation:
14 days
Fermentation temperature:
64-72 °F
Maceration technique:
Cold Soak Maceration
Type of aging container:
Stainless steel tanks
Size of aging container:
1000-5000 L
Length of aging before bottling:
7 months
Length of bottle aging:
1 month
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Analytical Data
No relevant data were found.