2013 FX Pichler Riesling Durnstein Kellerberg

From the estate`s parade vineyard, the 2013 Riesling Smaragd Dürnsteiner Kellerberg displays a very rich and intense aroma of super-ripe and concentrated Riesling berries. Rich and powerful, but also precise, impressively concentrated and piquant on the palate, this well-balanced and highly elegant Riesling with its lemon and orange aftertaste is another signature wine of both the Wachau and the 2013 vintage. It`s aging potential should be terrific. A serious, tension-filled Riesling of great expression, which I highly recommend. 95 points

Picked the same day, November 6, as the corresponding old-vines Pfaffenberg, this was the last of the Pichler-Krutzler 2013s to have been racked from its full lees. It offers ripe Mirabelle, peach and quince accented by grapefruit and nut oils, with lily- and rowan-like floral notes having emerged with time in bottle. Voluminous, glossy and opulently rich, it gains welcome counterpoint by way of site-typically smoky Szechuan or Madagascar peppercorn-like bite, leading to a finish of phenomenal sheer persistence. A subtle sense of sweetness is entirely supportive of a picture that reflects the ripeness and intensity of tiny but botrytis-free berries. 94 points

Crystalline. Pure flavours but very full-bodied. Powdery texture. Big and opulent with some lychee flavours. Gorgeous. 18 points