Prager Zwerithaler Kammergut Grüner Veltliner

Grüner Veltliner Ried Zwerithaler Kammergut Smaragd bottle image

Wine Description

Franz Prager, co-founder of the Vinea Wachau, had already earned a reputation for his wines when Toni Bodenstein married into the family. Bodenstein’s passion for biodiversity and old terraces, coupled with brilliant winemaking, places Prager in the highest echelon of Austrian producers.

Smaragd is a designation of ripeness for dry wines used exclusively by members of the Vinea Wachau. The wines must have minimum alcohol of 12.5%. The grapes are hand-harvested, typically in October and November, and are sent directly to press where they spontaneously ferment in stainless-steel tanks.

Zwerithaler is a sub-site of Buschenberg and sits to the east of Weißenkirchen. The name Zwerithaler, meaning "nestled between the valleys," is a near monopole of Weingut Prager. It has a complex soil of paragneiss with alternating layers of dark and calcareous rock.  Zwerithaler Kammergut is a 0.34-hectare parcel planted before WWI. The wine from these ungrafted, 100-year-old vines was bottled separately by Prager for the first time in 2015.

Prager Vineyards
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Acclaim
“The 2023 Grüner Veltliner Ried Zwerithaler Kammergut Smaragd is a site still owned by Melk Abbey. The wines made from this site were historically reserved for the abbot. These vines were planted in 1907 and have immense genetic variety, including a small proportion of other historic varieties like Heunisch, aka Gouais Blanc. Located on the eastern fringe of Weissenkirchen, along the Schildbachgraben, this is like an amphitheater looking southeast across nine terraces, shaded as of mid-afternoon. Gentle, subtle moss on the nose comes with a slight overtone of citrus. The palate is almost viscous, so fluid, but so fine-boned, immensely dense and rounded but without heaviness. Lovely citrus, slender freshness and great individuality distinguish the wine. (Dry)” — Vinous, Jul 2024
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Vineyard & Production Info
Vineyard name
Ried Zwerithaler Kammergut
Soil composition
Paragneiss, calcareous and stony
Elevation:
679-915 feet
Exposure:
Southern
Year vineyard planted:
1914
Harvest time:
November
First vintage of this wine:
2015
Bottles produced of this wine:
1,500
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Winemaking & Aging
Varietal composition:
100% Grüner Veltliner
Fermentation container:
Stainless steel tanks
Type of aging container:
Stainless steel tanks
Total SO2
130
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Analytical Data
Acidity:
7.6 g/L
Alcohol:
14 %
Dry extract:
30 g/L
Total SO2
130
Residual sugar:
6.2 g/L