Knoll Riesling Smaragd 2017

Drink now or cellar for 11 years. Serve chilled.

The Knoll family are something of a household name in Austria thanks to their delicious white wines bottled under the iconic Saint Urban label. The family started bottling their own wines in the 1950s and have helped put Wachau on the map for exceptional white wines. Today the estate is run by Emmerich II and Monika Knoll and their son Emmerich II who have a total of 15 hectares of vines and are based in the picturesque village of Unterloiben.

This excellent example of prime Austrian Riesling begins life in the Knolls’ Loibenberg vineyard in Unterloiben. Set on a steep terrace with stony soils at an altitude of 260 to 400 metres above sea level, this plot is one of the estate’s warmest vineyards and typically produces opulent, well-rounded dry Rieslings. The grapes are carefully harvested by hand and vinified in large oak casks with a lengthy maturation period before bottling.

On the nose there are plenty of aromatics including hints of honeysuckle, almond blossom and ripe peach while the first sip reveals a medium body, vibrant freshness and stone fruit, citrus and red apple flavours which linger long on the tongue. This complex, multi-layered wine can be cellared for another decade or so, but also makes a delicious aperitif or partner for seafood and spicy Asian dishes for those who prefer to enjoy it now.