Rudi Pichler Riesling Smaragd Achleiten 2015

Floral and leafy on the nose, with struck flint and crushed stone cutting through the greenhouse-like softness. There's an almost pungent vitality here, oily and expansive on entry, yet lifted by bright, juicy apple and a vivid orange zest character. Apple seed bitterness and alkaline stoniness circle back on the finish alongside a saline, mouthwatering pull that clings long after the wine is gone. Pichler harvested part of his Achleiten holding, a parcel that diverges notably in both exposure and soil from the broader site, in early October, and that timing shows in the wine's buoyancy and freshness. Drink now through 2035.