The Pichlers have been working vines around Wösendorf since 1731, and Rudolph III has spent his tenure since 1997 sharpening that inheritance into one of the Wachau's benchmark addresses. Precision, power, longevity. This is Smaragd-level Grüner: full-bodied and rich, with stone fruit and lemon up front and that savory, peppery snap of radish and arugula through the mid-palate, all of it held in line by real acidity. Austria's signature grape doing exactly what it's famous for.
Tasting Notes
Grüner Veltliner is the signature grape of Austria and produces a dry white wine with savory aromas, spicy flavors, and good acidity. Grüner Veltliner Smaragd from the Wachau is a full-bodied wine and is rich in style with notes of stone fruit, lemon, radish, and arugula. Grüner Veltliner’s bright acidity and savory character make it an ideal partner to mildly spiced Vietnamese, Thai, and Chinese flavors. Fish and shellfish are accented by Grüner Veltliner’s citrus and mineral profile while its acidity cuts the richness of pork or ham. It can also work well with foods that are difficult to pair such as bitter greens and asparagus.
Professional Ratings
96
James SucklingConcentrated and very elegant with great mineral energy, this is a stunning gruner veltliner for the 2024 vintage that has all the spice and herbal complexity we look for in these wines. The superlong finish has delicate creaminess and fantastic wet-stone intensity.
About the Producer
Rudi Pichler is among the elite growers of the Wachau producing wines of precision, power, and longevity. The cellar is based in the village of Wösendorf where generations of Pichlers have tended vines since 1731. Rudolph Pichler, III took over the winery in 1997 and has since expanded the vineyards and constructed a modern cellar in 2004. 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.
