When it comes to Austrian wine, F.X. Pichler is one of the greats.

Pichler’s riesling are some of the most profound expressions of the grape. They possess a boldness and power that grabs your attention and doesn’t let go.

Pichler produced a stunning range of wines in 2017. Today, we turn to the 2017 Riesling Loibenberg Smaragd.

Loibenberg is one of the greatest sites in Wachau. It’s a very steep south facing vineyard with soils of gneiss and mica schist. Rieslings from Loibenberg are muscular and layered, but possess a laser beam of driving minerality.

When the Wine Advocate's Stephan Reinhardt writes that the 2017 is "long and minerally," he's getting right to the beating heart of the wine. There's a regal grandeur to the 2017, but it's the lifted and forceful minerality that really impresses. For the amount of power in this wine, it’s shockingly finessed. It really highlights Pichler’s fine-tuned winemaking ability.

Loibenberg is an important wine for Pichler. One of the easiest ways to situate this wine is to point out that Pichler's "M" wine and the extraordinary Undendlich are both sourced from Loibnerberg. The 2017 exemplifies the site's power and finesse. It's a really brilliant Pichler vintage.

To order, email offers@crushwineco.com or call the store at (212) 980-9463.

Joe Salamone

Wine Buyer
Crush Wine & Spirits