Ried Höhereck Riesling Smaragd

The wine

Weingut Alzinger, based in Unterloiben near Dürnstein, is one of the reference estates of Austria's Wachau, run by Leo Alzinger and his son Leo. The style is precise, pure and restrained. This 2021 Riesling Smaragd comes from the Ried Höhereck, a small, steep single vineyard and one of the estate's finest sites.

In the glass

Pale yellow with green glints. The nose combines white peach, apricot and lime zest with lemon balm, white blossom and a stony, slightly smoky minerality. The palate is dry, concentrated and vibrant, with racy acidity and a long, saline finish.

At the table

A superb partner for refined seafood such as turbot with lemon butter or seared scallops. Its freshness and minerality also suit roast duck, spicy Asian dishes, or a classic Wiener Schnitzel. Ask our team for a match from the current menu.

Where it comes from

The Wachau is a narrow, UNESCO-listed stretch of the Danube valley in Lower Austria, with steep terraced vineyards. Warm air from the east meets cool air from the forests to the north, giving ripe flavours and bright acidity. Höhereck lies between the Kellerberg and Loibenberg sites, on poor, stony soils over gneiss, cooled by constant north-westerly winds.

The vintage and the winemaking

2021 is regarded as a great vintage in Austria: a long, even ripening season and a fine autumn produced healthy grapes with excellent acidity. The grapes are hand-picked and fermented spontaneously with natural yeasts, then aged mostly in stainless steel with a small share of large, neutral Austrian oak casks.

Appellation

Wachau DAC, the protected origin of the region, with the Smaragd category of the Vinea Wachau: the top tier, reserved for dry wines of at least 12.5% alcohol. "Ried" indicates a legally defined single vineyard.