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| Drinking Windows and Values |
| Community Tasting History |
| Community Tasting Notes (average 92.3 pts. and median of 92 pts. in 5 notes) - hiding notes with no text | | | Tasted by hrazdiiv on 4/5/2020 & rated 91 points: Nicely delineated wine with typical notes for the region. Appearance in the glass is medium yellow, so likely aging in stainless steel. Nice elements of exotic fruits here - some pineapple, perhaps a bit of ripe mango, contrasted very elegantly with some nice minerality. I like the level of acidity here - just right in my opinion, which raises the issue of ageworthiness given this is only 3 yrs old at this point. But the wine is well structured, and I am guessing will hold together very well for at least 5, if not 10 years. The finish is medium, with the acidity nicely following some candied citrus flavors into the fade. Drank over three nights, got better each night - a good sign. (949 views) | | | Tasted by LW31 on 1/19/2019: Very good, drunk next to the Loibenberg. This showed typical notes that are more exotic. Also great density and vigor here. Needs time as well. (851 views) | | | Tasted by Seth Rosenberg on 1/19/2019 & rated 94 points: More exotic than the Loibenberg with more serious tropical notes of banana and maybe tart pineapple go with the peach and citrus and mineralty. Just delicious. Again very focused and poised. This packs a lot of flavor and enjoyment into a delicate package. 17/20. (1353 views) | | | Tasted by rossi.wine on 11/23/2018 & rated 93 points: White and yellow fruit on the nose, crushed stones, herbs, lots of depth on the nose. On the palate very mineral, good fruit, very vibrant and fresh. Very good length. 92-93+ (890 views) |
| Alzinger Producer website
Leo Alzinger is located in Unterloiben, just across the street from Knoll. Leo owns parcels in two of the great vineyards in this part of the river valley: Loibenberg and Steinertal. Loibenberg is a towering, terraced hillside, while the diminutive (5.5 hectare) Steinertal is hidden and maintains a cooler micro-climate. On the terraced vineyards of both sites, riesling is cultivated on the higher, more primary rock rich parcels while grüner veltliner is cultivated on the lower, silty, loess based parcels.
Harvest at Alzinger happens later than some of Leo’s neighbors in Unterloiben, something he attributes to old vines and the specific exposition of his parcels. The extra time on the vine doesn’t increase sugar levels, Leo says, but rather pushes physiological ripeness to greater balance. Alzinger crushes whole cluster with a short maceration, then allows the must to settle for 24 hours, dropping any green tannins out. Tasting the wines next to some of the other Wachau greats, it becomes apparent that elegance and pristine fruit is what Leo looks for in winemaking, rather than opulence. Alzinger’s wines are never forceful or assertive; they are instead amazingly sanguine and calmly transparent. Terry says “You wouldn’t be surprised if the cellar master was the Dali Lama”.
Vineyard area: 11 hectares
Top sites: Loibenberg, Steinertal, Liebenberg
Soil types: Eroded primary rock, sandy soils with loam
Grape varieties: 55% Grüner Veltliner, 40% Riesling, 5% ChardonnayRiesling Varietal character (Appellation America) | A short history of Riesling (Uncork) | Riesling (wikipedia)Smaragd Wikipedia about Smaragd (german)
Google translation in English of the German Wikipedia about Smagard
From what I understand, these wines (very ripe, dry, late-harvest, etc.) were going to be designated Honivogl (after a kind of bird found in or near the vineyards, meaning 'honey bird'. However, the Honivogl family was involved in the wine trade in Austria and objected that this would cause confusion and weakening of their trademark. Another creature was therefore selected (the green lizard called Smaragd) to be the mascot (sort of ) for this kind of wine in the Wachau. Source: Dr. Peter Ruhrberg, Saarbrücken, personal communication, 9/2007. jhtAustria Wein aus Österreich (Österreichischen Weinmarketinggesellschaft) | Austrian Wine Classifications (Winemonger.com)Niederösterreich Weinstraße Niederösterreich
Lower Austria Wine Region
Lower Austria isn't "southern" Austria, but rather northeastern. It derives its name from its downriver location on the Danube River, which flows from west to east.Wachau Official tourism website
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