Riesling Smaragd Ried Achleiten 2020

Light green-yellow with silver reflections; on the nose very aromatic, juicy stone fruit aromas like apricot and subtle hints of white peach and lemon, white pepper and fresh wild herbs; the palate is very juicy and vibrant; the refreshing acidity balances the wine very well; structured and elegant with intense fruit sweetness in the finish; long-lasting and much salty minerality show typical characteristics of Achleiten.

The Achleiten is located on the east side of Weissenkirchen. It borders the Klaus vineyard to the east and southeast and the Hinterkirchen and Weitenberg vineyards to the west. It drops steeply towards the south and on the western end, lightly towards the southwest. The terraces begin directly above the Danube River at around 210 metres above seal level and the most highly elevated parcels are nearly at 360 metres. The Achleiten is situated in the middle of the Wachau and the climate influences are cool, but well balanced.

Crystalline rock dominates the Achleiten with an abundance of pale, foliated Gfoehler gneiss with mica-schist, particularly in the upper portion of the site. Gfoehler gneiss belongs to the orthogneiss group, a metamorphic rock that was formed out of magmatic granite-like rock.

Riesling from Achleiten is characterised by low yields (5.400kg per hectare) due to the poor soil in this vineyard. After multiple selections the grapes for Riesling Smaragd Achleiten were carefully hand-picked. After eight hours of maceration and gentle pressing, the wine fermented and matured in big wooden casks and stainless-steel tanks. Late bottling and therefore the long contact with the fine lees provide more precise nuances and gives additionally great finesse.

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