2015 Franz Hirtzberger Grüner Veltliner Kirchweg Smaragd

Franz Hirtzberger

Austria / Wachau / Franz Hirtzberger

Franz Hirtzberger's foremost aim is to produce a wine of character and utmost purity. The estate has refined its practices over many years, while applying essentially the same tried and tested methods of previous generations. The utmost goal is to produce wines which are true to their origins; which reflect unique Wachau "terroir"; the individual characteristics of each vineyard and the particular conditions of each different vintage.

February, 2017

David Schildknecht

Vinous Media

94 points

Picked near the end of October, this smells of ripe apricot and white peach that could come from a Riesling, but accompanied by snap pea and cress. These elements complement one another delightfully on a silken-textured palate that exhibits unexpected lift for a relatively late-picked Smaragd. The richly-sustained finish lends a hint of caramel to the luscious pit fruits, yet there is a striking sense of vibrancy as well as of transparency to stony, crystalline, and iodine-like mineral notes. Crunchy, nippy snap pea and cress rise to the task of invigoration, while a suggestion of shrimp-shell reduction serves to stimulate the salivary glands and encourage, indeed practically compel, the next sip. As Irmgard Hirtzberger points out, since the family’s first wine from these vines was a 2010 (and the 2014 fruit was blended into that vintage’s Rotes Tor Federspiel), assessments of ageworthiness must be considered tentative. "But given our track record with Grüner Veltliner Smaragd in general," she added, "I'd say it’s a good bet that this will handle 15 years in bottle with no problem."

November, 2017

Bruce Sanderson

Wine Spectator

92 points

Slightly creamy in texture, this white features a beautiful palate, with expressive nectarine and lentil flavors. The finish is rich in marzipan accents and savory herbal and mineral undertones. Drink now through 2025.

Standard Bottle Out of Stock

About Franz Hirtzberger

The Hirtzberger family purchased its first vineyards in the village of Spitz in the late 1800s. The winery is situated at the western end of the Wachau - the part that's coolest and closest to the mountains. The terraced Singerriedel vineyard has brought the family near legendary status for its Riesling, while the Honivogl has done the same with Grüner Veltliner. Such sites, allied to an approach that’s simple in the extreme, lend the wines an often astonishing transparency and complexity.

About

"In every walk of life the best results are obtained as a result of care," says Franz Hirtzberger, adding, "this is especially true when it comes to the vine." He and his son, also Franz, now share responsibilities in the vineyard and the cellar in order to give the vine and its fruit all the time and attention possible in their quest for great wine. Wines are fermented in stainless steel and then aged in old oak barrels and sit stylistically somewhat apart from the rest. Spicy, exotic and perfectly poised, they nevertheless combine the opulence of FX Pichler with Prager’s racy purity.