Hollerin Riesling Smaragd
⏳ Drinking Window
2022 - 2035
🍽️ Food & Wine Pairings
Grilled sea bass, spicy Thai curry, roasted pork belly
✨ Technical Specifications
Hailing from the historic Ried Hollerin vineyard in the Wachau, this Smaragd Riesling by F.X. Pichler captures a unique expression of the region's complex terroir. Positioned at the foot of the warm, sun-drenched slopes near Dürnstein, the Hollerin vineyard features a soil composition of weathered primary rock (gneiss) topped with layers of loess and fine sand. This specific geology, combined with the cooling breezes from the Danube, coaxes an incredibly aromatic, elegant, and mineral-driven profile from the Riesling grape. Crafted under the strict Smaragd guidelines—the highest quality tier of the Vinea Wachau—this wine is fermented in stainless steel and aged in large, neutral oak casks to preserve its vibrant fruit and structural purity. Historically, the Hollerin site has been prized for producing wines of immense charm and early accessibility compared to its steeper, more austere neighbors, yet it retains the signature longevity and depth that defines the Pichler legacy.
🍾 About the Producer
Established in 1898 in Oberloiben, Weingut F.X. Pichler stands as one of the pinnacle estates of Austria's Wachau valley. Elevated to international legend status under Franz Xaver Pichler from 1971 onward, the domain is directed today by seventh-generation winemaker Lucas Pichler alongside his wife Johanna. The estate stewards approximately 20 hectares of vines, largely centered on precipitous, hand-carved dry-stone terraces of primary rock, weathered gneiss, amphibolite, and loess. Benefiting from the climatic tension between warm Pannonian airflows and cool Alpine drafts along the Danube, Pichler crafts monumental, dry white wines of chiselled mineral precision, depth, and longevity. The family shifted to certified organic viticulture and voluntarily departed the Vinea Wachau hierarchy to prioritize terroir-driven Wachau DAC site typicity. Its benchmark portfolio includes single-vineyard expressions from Ried Kellerberg, Loibenberg, and Steinertal, alongside the cult cuvées 'M' and the transcendent 'Unendlich'.
🍇 Grapes
Riesling
🍷 ABV
13-14%