2012 F.X. Pichler Riesling Unendlich Smaragd

F.X. Pichler

Austria / Wachau / F.X. Pichler

The varieties of nature are never-ending, but each vineyard resembles a microcosm that reflects life and history – also those of our family." The idea to make the most of a terroir and varietal had already been alive long before the first "Unendlich" (the German word for never-ending). With the 1998 vintage, that vision for the first time became true. It reflects our passion to craft a wine that is an experience for all senses – a total work of art.
The label for this exceptional offering was inspired by the stage setting created by Karl Friedrich Schinkel for Mozart's opera "The Magic Flute". It represents a starry sky on blue ground – a symbol of cosmic infiniteness. An allegoric way to describe a wine with a "never-ending" finish.

David Schildknecht

Wine Advocate

97 points

Representing roughly 75% Kellerberg, 20% Hollerin and 5% Steinertal, and weighing-in at 14% alcohol, the Pichler 2012 Riesling Smaragd Unendlich projects lusciously ripe, brown-spiced peach mingled with both the sweet marzipan-like and the bitterly cyanic sides of almond, as well as with pistachio extract, smoky black tea, and a sweet-saline, iodine-tinged, salivary gland-milking savor akin to lobster shell reduction. Living up to its name while managing to convey animation as well as soothing richness, this reveals a subtly different emphasis with each compulsive sip and wave of finishing flavor. A beautiful tribute to its vintage and cepage, this should reward attention through at least 2028. 97 points."

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About F.X. Pichler

"Everything here seems stylish, cultured and intelligently managed," wrote Sophie Otton of her recent visit to FX Pichler - which is, she notes, "widely regarded as Austria's finest estate". "Most of the wines here are Smaragd, which indicates the quality of their vineyard sites," Sophie observes. "Looking down the hillside to the Danube, it's obvious, the aspect is perfect. The wines are striking, like cut crystal, with strong clear lines; succulent, satiny and honeyed." The new winery, completed in 2010, is a stunning piece of design, with an imposing bank of stainless steel vats, side by side with the old oak foudres that are used for aging but not fermentation. The Pichlers use long maceration times – 20 hours for the Smaragds - and bottle direct from cask after eight months or so aging on lees. These exceptional wines have every inch of the finesse of Prager, but communicated through a slightly more open, loose- knit framework.

About

In 1971, Lucas Pichler’s father Franz-Xaver started running the estate, and would go on 41 years later to win a lifetime achievement award for his efforts from German magazine Der Feinschmecker. 1999 was the year that Lucas took over winemaking duties from his father, who continues to tend the vines. FX Pichler’s vineyards comprise some 18 hectares, of which around 47% are planted to Riesling (the rest is almost entirely Grüner Veltliner). A fraction less than half the area under vine sprawls across steeply rising terraces. This winemaking process presupposes multi-pass manual picking of premium-quality, highly ripe grapes followed by careful processing and traditional maturation in large oak casks. Lucas aims for naturalness and distinctiveness by forgoing chaptalisation and fining.