Great Wines for Thanksgiving!
Available at Kirkwood and online
F.X. Pichler wines are praised for their complexity, elegance, and minerality, with a reputation for producing some of Austria's best Grüner Veltliner and Riesling.
2023 FX Pichler Gruner Veltliner Durnsteiner...$42.99
Wines bearing the name of DÜRNSTEIN refer to the designation of origin of some fabulous village wines. Under this name we bottle wines from grapes hand-picked from a selection of terraced mountain vineyards. The grapes derive predominantly from younger plots, or from sites not harvested for a “Ried” single-vineyard growth wine, and from vineyards in the plains around the municipality of Dürnstein. This vineyard blend is enticing and invigorating, with sappy and subtle mineral characters.
The impressive interplay of restrained richness and very animating mineral acidity is what gives this excellent gruner veltliner its pronounced personality. Long, wild herb finish that’s simultaneously compact and refreshing. A cuvee of about half vineyards on the plain and half young vines on the steep, terraced vineyards of the region. From organically grown grapes. Vegan. Drink or hold. Screw cap.
Rated 94/100 James Suckling
2023 FX Pichler Riesling Ried Loibenberg...$79.99
Every winegrowing nation has coined its own word for the specific geographic site of a prized vineyard. In Germany, it is known as the “Lage”, in France it’s the “Cru” and in Austria, we refer to it as the “Ried”.
This unique site is situated at the most eastern end of the Wachau, between the Loibenberg and the Pfaffenberg. The old vineyard name is “Steingraben”, as its form depicts a rift, which broadens into an amphitheatre as it reaches down towards the vineyard landscape in Unterloiben. The site is clearly characterized by its proximity to the nearby forest, from which nocturnal northerly breezes cool the vineyard as they pass through on their current towards the Danube. This makes Steinertal the cool, slow ripening single-vineyard site within the Loibner vineyards, which is unique in its ideal harvest picking time and mineral character.
Extremely deep and complex with a wonderful tension between the ripe Mandarin oranges, tobacco leaves and spicy aromas, plus giant crushed-rock minerality. Despite the cornucopia of yellow fruit, this is only 12.5% alcohol, giving the finish a wind-blown quality that defies your expectations of a very warm vineyard site. From organically grown grapes. Vegan. Drink or hold.
Rated 99/100 James Suckling
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