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Domäne Wachau, Riesling Ried Achleiten Smaragd 2019


Achleiten is a legendary vineyard in the Wachau village of Weissenkirchen. It is famous for wines with inimitable mineral character. Dry stone walls dating back to the 12th century, which mount the steep slopes with their silicate-rich soil, dominate this vineyard’s landscape. In the upper terraces, gneiss is the prevailing subsoil, the lower terraces are dominated by dark, schistous amphibolites.

Both fresh lemon and crushed lemon leaves on the nose have an air of breezy freshness but underneath the juicy ripeness of Mandarin oranges and ripe clementines shines through. The palate has a juicy softness, despite the zestiness on the midpalate. There even are tropical hints of passion fruit. The freshness is key, but it is softly expressed on the clean, zesty, long and moreish finish.


Scores are significant. for example 98WE, 96RP, 96A La Cart, 94JSwith lots of great comments. Parker et al awarded 96 Points wrote "The citrus-golden colored 2019 Ried Achleiten Riesling Smaragd offers a gorgeously concentrated and defined bouquet of perfectly ripe, just juicy peaches and crushed dark stones whose enormous smokiness reminds me of dark volcanic rocks. Full-bodied, rich and concentrated, with enormously piquant fruit and thrilling tension, this is a great, always pure, tight and also refined Achleiten with a long, intense and juicy as well as salty-piquant finish with fine tannins. Challenging and a great vin de terroir.”

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