Alzinger Grüner Veltliner Smaragd Loibenberg 2016

Snap pea, nutmeg, and coriander seed give this an herbaceous, spice-driven nose that sets up something genuinely complex. On the palate it's both creamy and juicy, a combination that shouldn't work as well as it does, with a freshness that's uncommon for the Loibenberg, which tends to run warm and wide. Alzinger's holdings here sit higher and cooler, and that matters: acid retention is noticeably better than in many wines from this site. The finish lands with a salted radish bite, incisive and mouthwatering, stretching well past where you'd expect it to stop.