2010 Emmerich Knoll Riesling Vinothekfüllung Smaragd

Emmerich Knoll

Austria / Wachau / Emmerich Knoll

Wine name/ Variety: Riesling Vinothekfüllung
Viticulturist: Knoll family
Location: Wachau/ Unter-Loiben
Elevation/ Altitude: 260 – 350 m
Exposition: Different terraced vineyards with southern exposure
Soil type: Gneiss-based primary rock with Löss components
Methods of training: modified Moser Training System
Density of planting: 5,000 – 6,500 per hectare / 1.40 – 1.80m row spacing
Harvesting: by hand; selective harvest; rarely green harvest
VINIFICATION
No destemming, skin contact, no carbonic maceration, pneumatic press. Vinified with cultured and natural yeast
Fermentation vessel: cask and stainless steel tank from 500 to 5,000 litres depending on batch quantity
Fermentation length & temperature: 5- 15 days, 23 - 26 degrees

David Schildknecht

Wine Advocate

91-92 points

Consisting largely of fruit harvested in mid-November from Loibenberg, the Knoll 2010 Riesling Smaragd Vinothekfullung is loaded with succulently ripe fig and white peach; glazed with quince preserves; mingled with smoky dark tobacco; and suffused with invigoratingly peppery mineral impingement and saliva-drawing salinity. This is an example of leaving behind close to the limit (for Smaragd) in residual sugar and thereby enhancing the lusciously ripe aspects of a 2010 without engendering any conflict with the wine’s quickening acidity. The expansive, persistent finish practically glows, with pepper, tobacco, brown spices, and black tea adding depth and counterpoint to its rich fruit. I’d plan on following it for a dozen, or perhaps more years.

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About Emmerich Knoll

"This winery has produced so many cult wines over the last decades that it would not be a problem to fill an entire book with their tasting notes." So goes the Falstaff Ultimate Wine Guide's entry on Knoll, pronounced with a K. The winery uses exclusively old oak foudres and implements a winemaking philosophy that places varietal site expression at the forefront. Emmerich Knoll senior is a thoughtful, quiet man; the opposite of Emmerich junior, cosmopolitan and modern in his approach. The Knolls have holdings in all the best sites, as exemplified by their success in the now infamous UK tasting where an aged Knoll Grüner beat a field of Grand Cru white Burgundies. The unmistakable labels bearing the image of Saint Urban, the patron saint of winegrowing, are a reminder that tradition is the watchword here. But what isn’t so obvious is that Emmerich Knoll’s wines are sheer joy to drink — now or far into the future.

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