F.X. Pichler Riesling Smaragd Kellerberg 2013

White peach and Persian melon are the foundation here, but what sets this Kellerberg apart is the unusually delicate aromatic character, bittersweet florals, a trace of black tea, and crushed stone lend a haunting quality more akin to Achleiten than this vineyard typically shows. High-toned almond and mandarin orange add sweetness of impression despite being analytically dry, while the texture is seductively smooth without ever becoming heavy. Peach kernel bitterness cuts through at the right moment, keeping things lively and drawing out a long, glowing finish. The complexity left in the empty glass, pit fruit, citrus, florals, and a swirl of peppery spice, is head-turning. For a wine harvested in the last week of November, the buoyancy is frankly astonishing. The finest Kellerberg Riesling I've encountered. Drink now through 2035.