2010 Prager Riesling Wachstum Bodenstein Smaragd

Weingut Prager

Austria / Wachau / Weingut Prager

A wine that really showcases the free-thinking, experimental and provocative side of Toni Bodenstein.
Planted in 1990 in a high-altitude section of the Hinterseiber vineyard (literally bordering the forest at the top of the mountain), this was planted at an altitude of about 1,500 feet (between 440-460 meters). Many people doubted that the vineyard would be able to fully ripen Riesling. Over 10 years later, not only does the vineyard produce incredibly elegant and mineral wines, but while others have problems with over-ripening, the Bodenstein wines, even in hot vintages like 2003 and 2006, are balanced and elegant. Anytime you see the “Bodenstein" moniker, you should know that one of the points of the wine is to showcase genetic diversity. Bodenstein planted the vineyard with 15 different types of Riesling sourced from the Wachau as well as Germany's Rheingau, Mosel and Pfalz and France's Alsace. This is, year in and year out, one of the top Rieslings from Austria.

David Schildknecht

Wine Advocate

91 points

Last-harvested and even then at only 13% potential alcohol and with the highest acidity of any Prager wine this vintage, the 2010 Riesling Smaragd Wachstum Toni Bodenstein displays a nervous dynamic of juicy lime, grapefruit and peach with citrus rind bite, fruit pit piquancy, and bitter-tart notes of gooseberry. Nut oils and wet stone help ground a buoyant, firmly-textured palate and fill-out a refreshingly lingering finish. This nose-bleed site daringly planted in 1990 has never failed to fully ripen, but in 2010 one can at least perceive its location as a challenge rather than – as has often been the case – a blessing. I suspect this will be worth following for the better part of a decade.

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About Weingut Prager

It’s all stainless steel, clean and high-tech at Prager. Toni Bodenstein is an icon of the new Austria and innovative in his approach. He’s been in control of winemaking since the early nineties and has positioned Prager firmly in Europe’s top echelon. The estate’s vineyards cover 16.5ha; 60% planted to Riesling, 40% Grüner Veltliner. Toni is the foremost authority in the region on the hugely diverse mesoclimates across the valley. His entry-level Grüner and Riesling are the epitome of Wachau purity and the rest of the range is a fascinating study in the terroir of Austria's greatest white-wine region. As Falstaff magazine puts it: "Bodenstein creates wines that unite elegance and finesse with expressiveness and power. These wines show that the great growths of the Wachau are some of the best in the world."

About

Toni Bodenstein is mayor of the town of Weissenkirchen and known as the “terroirist of the Wachau”, a pair of facts that give an idea of his connection to his land and culture, as well as the high esteem in which he’s held. “Vom Stein zum Wein” goes the motto at Prager, which likewise indicates the relationship between where the grapes grow and what you get to drink. Through his deep respect for tradition and the environment, he creates wines that unite finesse with expressiveness and power.