Weingut Emmerich Knoll : Riesling Ried Loibenberg Smaragd 2023

Characteristics and Tasting Notes of the Riesling Ried Loibenberg Smaragd 2023 Weingut Emmerich Knoll

Tasting

Colour
The colour reveals a pale greenish-yellow hue, enhanced by silvery highlights.

Nose
Wonderfully complex, the nose exudes seductive aromas of stone fruit (peach, nectarine) and exotic fruit (fresh papaya, mandarin), intertwined with notes of tangerine zest, flower honey and quince. Subtle floral and mineral touches complete this bouquet.

Palate
Rich and elegant, the palate offers a wonderfully creamy texture, perfectly balanced by vibrant acidity. The mid-palate unfolds flavours of candied citrus, tropical fruit and apricot. The finish, remarkably persistent, stands out with an intense saline minerality and remarkable depth.

Food and wine pairing

This white wine from Austria pairs beautifully with seafood, such as scallops pan-seared in citrus butter or fresh oysters. It also enhances white fish, herb-roasted poultry, as well as spicy Asian cuisine, such as a Thai green curry with seafood. Hard cheeses like Gruyère or vegetables with mineral notes are also excellent choices.

Service and storage

For optimal tasting, it is recommended to serve the Riesling Ried Loibenberg Smaragd 2023 at a temperature between 6 and 8°C. This wine, built for ageing, can be enjoyed until around 2032.

Other characteristics

This wine, classified at the Smaragd level, has an alcohol content of between 12.5% and 13.5%. It stands out for its very low residual sugar level (1.2 to 1.5 g/l) and a total acidity of 4.9 to 6.2 g/l. It also benefits from "Sustainable Austria" certification.

The Authentic Expression of a Great Lower Austrian Terroir by Weingut Emmerich Knoll

The estate

The Knoll family's history in Lower Austria began in 1824 with their settlement in Unterloiben. Initially a diversified farm, Weingut Emmerich Knoll truly took off commercially as a winery in 1961. Now led by Emmerich Knoll III, the estate oversees a vineyard of around 15 to 16 hectares. Renowned worldwide, notably thanks to its famous baroque Saint Urbain label created in 1962, the estate stands out for its minimal-intervention philosophy, favouring the pure and authentic expression of its terroirs.

The vineyard

Located in the famous Wachau valley, listed as a UNESCO World Heritage site, the Ried Loibenberg vineyard spans 35 hectares of steep terraces rising to an altitude of 400 metres. Nicknamed the "stove of the Wachau" due to its very warm south-facing exposure, this terroir rests on poor, shallow soils of 400-million-year-old Gföhl gneiss, dotted with a few loess deposits. The vines are cultivated using sustainable practices and harvested exclusively by hand.

Winemaking and ageing

The production of the Riesling Ried Loibenberg Smaragd 2023 follows a rigorous, grape-respectful process. After manual harvesting, the whole, unstemmed clusters are gently pressed. This is followed by a short skin maceration of one to four hours. Fermentation, initiated by native and selected yeasts, takes place between 23 and 26°C in stainless steel tanks and large neutral oak barrels. Finally, the wine undergoes extended lees ageing of at least nine months, with no bâtonnage, to develop its creamy texture and complexity.

Grape variety

100% Riesling.