Emmerich Knoll Grüner Veltliner Steinfeder 2016

Fresh-cut herbs and flowering greenery on the nose, leading into honeydew melon with a citrus-rind edge, cool cucumber, and snappy wax bean. Light-footed and polished, it closes with a juicy, saline lift that invites another sip. At a genuine 11% alcohol, this is a true Steinfeder, increasingly uncommon in the Wachau, where wines in the category routinely push toward the 11.5% ceiling. That the Knolls bother at all reflects both market demand and the recent addition of vineyard parcels well-suited to this lighter style.