WineLovers Discussion Group

Does dry Riesling get much better than the 2011 Alzinger Riesling Smaragd Steinertal I opened with dinner last night? A thrilling, pure, impeccably balanced wine; amazingly fragrant with pale fresh fruit, greener herbal elements and vivid stony and saline mineral elements coming together harmoniously. There's remarkable presence and persistence to the flavours, yet a delicate touch and lightness - almost weightlessness - that I find all too rarely. Absolutely thrilling wine, among the very best Rieslings I've had.

Salil wrote:Does dry Riesling get much better than the 2011 Alzinger Riesling Smaragd Steinertal I opened with dinner last night? A thrilling, pure, impeccably balanced wine; amazingly fragrant with pale fresh fruit, greener herbal elements and vivid stony and saline mineral elements coming together harmoniously. There's remarkable presence and persistence to the flavours, yet a delicate touch and lightness - almost weightlessness - that I find all too rarely. Absolutely thrilling wine, among the very best Rieslings I've had.

Sounds like the 2011 Tegernseerhof Riesling Smaragd Steinertal that I've recently tasted

Steinertal is holy ground for Riesling fans.

Not a producer we see here, unfortunately. But it sounds as if they have some amazing parcels of land, between Steinertal, Hohereck and some other great vineyards in the Wachau. (Would have loved to have a bottle of that for contrast at the Steinertal dinner I attended last year - all Steinertal Riesling and GV from FX Pichler and Alzinger. One of the most amazing lineups of wine I've ever sat down and enjoyed in my life.)

Salil wrote:Steinertal is holy ground for Riesling fans.

I couldn't agree more.
And Höhereck seems to be one of the places to be for old Grüner Veltliner vines. The 2010 Tegernseerhof Grüner Veltliner Smaragd Höhereck is by far the best GV I know.