Rudi Pichler Riesling Ried Kirchweg Smaragd

Riesling Ried Kirchweg 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.

Kirchweg, or “church path,” gets its name from a former path to the nearby church of St. Michael. The vineyard faces southeast and rises gently towards the bottom of Hochrain. Rudi Pichler’s vines are planted near the foot of Hochrain where sedimentary soils provide excellent conditions for Riesling.

Rudi Pichler Winery
Rudi Pichler Vineyards
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Acclaim
This great Wachau riesling has breathtaking concentration of stone-fruit and cassis aromas plus a deep well of minerality on the medium-bodied palate. The superclean Amalfi-lemon and wet-stone finish extends toward an infinitely distant vanishing point. — James Suckling, Nov 2024
“The 2023 Riesling Kirchweg Smaragd grows in a mix of loess and eroded paragneiss deposits closer to the Danube. A touch of mandarin plays on the nose, with some white summer blossom alongside a certain creaminess. The palate has that same smoothness but is aligned to a stony verve. Focus brings zestiness, while the mid-palate has lovely pith, slender but concentrated, with scented, subtle citrus on the long finish. The 2023 is a Riesling with tons of charm. (Bone-dry)” — Vinous, Jul 2024
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Vineyard & Production Info
Vineyard name
Ried Kirchweg
Vineyard size
14 acres
Soil composition
Gneiss, Rocky, and Sand
Training method
Cane-pruned
Elevation:
726-1,188 feet
Vines/acre:
1.8
Exposure:
Southern / Southwestern
Bottles produced of this wine:
2,000
Average Vine Age:
35-45 years
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Winemaking & Aging
Prefermentation Technique:
Cold soak
Time on its skins:
12 hours
Varietal composition:
100% Riesling
Fermentation container:
Stainless steel tanks
Malolactic fermentation:
no
Type of aging container:
Stainless steel tanks
Length of aging before bottling:
7 months
Length of bottle aging:
1 month
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Analytical Data
Acidity:
5.4 g/L
Alcohol:
13.5 %
Residual sugar:
1.1 g/L