FX Pichler Urgestein Terrassen Riesling Federspiel 2007 (Wachau, Austria)
$45, Screwcap, 12.5%
Winery Website

The more Austrian whites I try, the more I love them, especially the Pichlers. Put one on your ‘must try’ list, and get a couple of the Gruners too. I only wish more Austrian whites made it to Australia. I wonder if Arnie ever gets parochial and gets stuck into a few of these? (I’d gladly take a bottle of this over most Cal Chardonnays…)

Oh and on the packaging – this comes in a giraffe like, long necked, mega Mosel bottle, just for extra impact (though the labelling itself is very low budget).

In the glass, this is a yellow straw colour, looking bright, but fairly innocuous, which serves as quite a contrast to the nose, which is stunningly dense and opulent, sharing more with sweet German Riesling than anything else. Aromatics include perfumed Gardenia, pink grapefruit, rose water and slate, in a nostril filling, ‘check this out’ style that I can’t stop sticking my nose in to catch again. What a nose! I love it!

The palate doesn’t disappoint either – quite rich and full of weight, with just a splash of sweetness on the back palate. Think Spatlese Trocken ripeness, with rich honeysuckle, blackcurrant and tropical fruit, reinforced with brisk, perfectly balanced rocky soil acidity. It’s a gloriously full wine, that retains its freshness with natural acidity and cries out for some sort of rich, typically Germanic, Sausages & Sauerkraut type food.

What a delicious wine. Convincingly rich, perfectly weighted, fresh, pure and utterly more-ish. What’s more, It’s only entry level on the FX Pichler scale, with the wines above this becoming even more profound and intense. Much to look forward too then. 18.4