Rudi Pichler Riesling Terrassen Smaragd

Riesling Terrassen Smaragd bottle image

Wine Description

Rudi Pichler is among the elite growers of the Wachau producing wines of precision, power, and longevity. Grüner Veltliner and Riesling make up 95% of the production with the remaining 5% shared between Weißburgunder and Roter Veltliner. Rudi Pichler belongs to the prestigious Vinea Wachau and vinifies under the strict parameters of their codex.

Yields are kept low between 30 and 35 hectoliters per hectare with botrytis carefully removed by hand.  Grapes are crushed by foot and receive between three and 36 hours of maceration on the skins. Vinification is entirely in stainless-steel tanks and malolactic fermentation is avoided.

Weingut Rudi Pichler consists of 37 acres spread between Wösendorf, Joching, and Weißenkirchen where south-facing terraces look down at the Danube River. Terrassen indicates it is a cuvée from multiple terraced sites. Smaragd is a term used by Vinea Wachau members indicating a dry wine with a minimum alcohol of 12.5%.

Rudi Pichler Winery
Rudi Pichler Vineyards
accordion plus icons
Acclaim
“The 2017 Riesling Smaragd "Terrassen" is pure, fresh and flinty, very clear and crystalline on the nose with well-concentrated white stone fruit aromas. Racy-piquant and fresh on the palate, this is a highly tensioned, tightly woven, pure and elegant Riesling with lingering salinity and stimulating astringency.”
— Wine Advocate, Dec 2018
“A slew of white peaches and sliced pears here. Great crispness and vitality, combined with enough body to give very nice harmony, but not so much that it feels heavy.”
— James Suckling, Oct 2018
View more acclaim Arrow Right
accordion plus icons
Vineyard & Production Info
Soil composition
Primary rock, Gneiss, Slate
Training method
Cane-pruned
Elevation:
726-1,188 feet
Vines/acre:
1,800
Yield/acre:
1.2-2.16 tons
Exposure:
Southern / Southwestern
Year vineyard planted:
1970-1990
Harvest time:
November
Average Vine Age:
12-40 years
accordion plus icons
Winemaking & Aging
Prefermentation Technique:
Cold soak
Time on its skins:
12 hours
Varietal composition:
100% Riesling
Fermentation container:
Stainless steel tanks
Length of alcoholic fermentation:
14 days
Fermentation temperature:
64-72 °F
Malolactic fermentation:
no
Type of aging container:
Stainless steel tanks
Size of aging container:
1000-5000L
Length of aging before bottling:
7 months
Length of bottle aging:
1 month
accordion plus icons
Analytical Data
Acidity:
7.4 g/L
Alcohol:
13 %
Residual sugar:
2.6 g/L