2008 FX Pichler Tasting

David at Red Slate stepped up to share a large lineup of FX Pichler's 2008 wines. I had heard great things about these, but had only tried one FX Pichler wine before. So, I was really excited to get to try these wines side by side. The group was great, and the wines inspired such thought that the room was frequently silent as we worked our way through the two flights. We tasted the Grüner Veltliner first, and the Rieslings second.

• 2008 F.X. Pichler Grüner Veltliner Federspiel Ried Frauenweingärten 89 Points

  Austria, Niederösterreich, Wachau

  The nose is full, showing bright peaches, lemon/lime scents and some minerality. It's got a feeling of spring to it, and it seems like some clover scents show as well. Clean and clear apples show on the palate with citrus zest. Rich red apple peels show later. The acidity is balanced, smooth, and bright and it runs out on the finish along with the apple and apple peel flavors. 89-

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• 2008 F.X. Pichler Grüner Veltliner Smaragd Urgestein Terrassen 90 Points

  Austria, Niederösterreich, Wachau

  The nose is captivating, reminding me of green grass poking up through the snow in spring. It also shows scents of faint baked apples and bright lemons. It has an ocean spray hint of saline on the palate along with some lemon flavors. These evolve toward bright green apple flavors, complete with the apple peel. These green apple flavors linger. The wine has a wonderful feeling of being lovely and full without being heavy. The acidity dries gently and the minerality persists.

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• 2008 F.X. Pichler Grüner Veltliner Smaragd Ried Kellerberg 92 Points

  Austria, Niederösterreich, Wachau

  The nose is surprisingly dark showing red earth, barbecue smoke, and hazelnuts. Some light peach syrup lies delicately beneath the bigger scents and some apples are suggested. There is a hint of saline on contact coupled with the faintest touch of butterscotch. This quickly evolves into a gorgeous bloom of apple flavors on the mid palate. The saline touch gently frames the richness of this wine. Lovely balanced acidity dries only after 10s on the finish and it runs long beyond 20s. A hint of barely ripe mango fruit shows itself on the mid palate. This is engaging, contemplative, and fantastic wine. 92+

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• 2008 F.X. Pichler Grüner Veltliner Smaragd 'M' 91 Points

  Austria, Niederösterreich, Wachau

  The nose is impressive, and straight up reminds me of standing at the edge of a glacier! Ice, water, and minerals are all blended together into something engaging despite the fact that such descriptors don't sound too exciting at face value. Smoked almonds, lemons, and green apple scents appear as well. This is clean on contact with austere minerality giving a hint of salinity early on. Light lychee flavors grow on the mid palate with a spicy green note showing. I think the alcohol is playing into this feeling of spice a bit, but it's not obvious. The lychee flavors linger on the mid palate while the salinity on the sides of the mouth evolves into drying acidity. The wine has a very round feel to it on the mid palate. Lovely!

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• 2008 F.X. Pichler Riesling Smaragd Loibner Oberhauser 91 Points

  Austria, Niederösterreich, Wachau

  The nose is full and firm showing pears with green peels, and a faint hint of honey. White flower scents also work with mandarin oranges, and some noticeable minerality, making this a very complex and interesting bouquet. Clean and clear apples appear, and the fruit is pure and full of precision. The fruit blooms quickly delivering an icy clarity that lingers in the center of the palate. The acidity shows itself late and I noticed a faint hit of lime zest 15s out.

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• 2008 F.X. Pichler Riesling Smaragd Ried Steinertal 92 Points

  Austria, Niederösterreich, Wachau

  The nose is complex and it reminds me of a full apple tree, showing the fruit along with leaves and twigs. A mineral note is full, and the imagery now drifts towards an early snow in an apple orchard with fruit still on the trees. A faint note of butterscotch candy shows later as well. It's pristine on the palate with the minerality giving a snowy sense to the wine. The snow evolves to gentle, red skinned apples with a faint drizzle of honey. Gentle acidity dries gently and makes the mouth water a bit. Again, the ghost of butterscotch shows itself giving a faint creamy texture very late on the finish.

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• 2008 F.X. Pichler Riesling Smaragd Loibner Berg 92 Points

  Austria, Niederösterreich, Wachau

  The nose shows austere green apple scents. The apples are lightly roasted, and white floral scents and some lime zest appear as well. Lemons and limes are full all across the palate, and rich, ripe apple flavors rise up on the mid palate. The acidity comes into play late to clean and dry things up. On the finish, rich and round apple flavors do a lovely dance with the acidity. Wonderful balance!

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• 2008 F.X. Pichler Riesling Smaragd Ried Kellerberg 91 Points

  Austria, Niederösterreich, Wachau

  Beautiful flowers show themselves on the nose. Caramel apple notes and honey are ethereal, and minerality is evident. The nose is subtle and inviting, and a faint hint of white frosting lingers in the background. Full apple flavors with lime zest and lime peel show themselves on the palate. The apple peel flavors lead the experience. Green apple fruit on the mid palate is full of acidity that dries the entire mouth gently. My mouth is entirely filled by this gentle drying sensation! The lime zest rises on the back of the palate to give a distinct dry sensation on the finish.

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