Alzinger Riesling Smaragd Loibenberg 2015

Not what you'd expect from Loibenberg, and in 2015, that's very much a compliment. Tasted from tank in June 2016, this is firm, focused and bright, carrying an acid precision that feels almost anomalous for both the site and the relentlessly warm vintage. Alzinger himself noted the acid retention across the Loibenberg and Dürnstein sectors that year as something he couldn't fully explain, attributing the wine's leaner character partly to the higher, east-facing vineyard positions. Yet there's nothing austere about it: ripe peach and pear fill out the mid-palate generously, lifted by an eau de vie quality that adds depth and length.