F.X. Pichler Riesling Smaragd Steinertal 2013

Steinertal at its most perfumed and precise. White peach, pineapple and lime are lifted by a vivid interplay of salt, white pepper and Szechuan peppercorn, the stony origins of this steep vineyard written clearly across every sip. A sleek, refined texture carries the wine forward with real elegance, and the depth here goes noticeably further than Pichler's lighter Wachau bottlings, with iris-like floral notes, smoky black tea and crushed rock layering through to a finish of outstanding persistence. At just 13% alcohol, it carries that weight effortlessly, the low alcohol adding to the sense of purity rather than diminishing richness.