Rudi Pichler Grüner Veltliner Smaragd Achleiten 2015

At just over 14% alcohol, there's no warmth or weight here, instead, the Achleiten impresses with a cooling, high-toned character from first sniff to final sip. Floral lifts and green herbal notes lead into flavors of green bean and ripe pear, texturally lush yet retaining a satisfying crunch beneath the glossy surface. Tobacco, a faint sweat-like savory quality and sharp white pepper thread through the mid-palate, keeping things vivid and mouth-watering. The finish is long and sustained, the kind that rewards attention. Individual berry selection shaped these results, with botrytized fruit channeled toward the Auslese rather than here. Drink now through 2033.