2015 Franz Hirtzberger Riesling Setzberg Smaragd

Franz Hirtzberger

Austria / Wachau / Franz Hirtzberger

Setzberg is situated 300m above sea level and therefore the highest in altitude of the Hirtzberger vineyards. The soil type is pure gneiss. Its location at the entrance to the Spitzer trench means that the vineyard's mesoclimate is influence by the chilly north winds that blow through it.

June, 2016

Stephan Reinhardt

Wine Advocate

93 points

The 2015 Riesling Smaragd Spitzer Setzberg offers a very pure and fresh, almost dusty flavored stone bouquet along with concentrated white peach and apricot aromas. On the palate the wine reveals a great purity, finesse and mineral intensity with a long and tension-filled finish. Still young, but highly promising. The Setzberg is a late-ripening cru that can have its problems in cooler years, but shines in warm and early vintages.

February, 2017

David Schildknecht

Vinous Media

91 points

Honeydew melon, white peach and lime ripely inform the nose and reconvene on the polished, generously juicy palate of this late October picking. Piquancy of peach kernel and lime zest, along with a faint chili pepper sizzle and an undertone of wet stone, offer invigorating counterpoint on the impressively persistent finish.

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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.