Im Weingebirge Grüner Veltliner Smaragd trocken 2020

The Im Weingebirge Grüner Veltliner Smaragd trocken 2020 from Nikolaihof is a dry white wine from the Wachau that deliberately pushes fruit into the background. At its core are jasmine tea and green tea, joined by vervain and a broad band of fresh and dried herbs: chervil, lemon balm, lemongrass and mint. White peach and ripe nectarine remain mere nuances, while baby turnip and fennel, tobacco leaf and cold smoky notes are more defining. A nose of great calm yet full of vitality.

The Im Weingebirge vineyard is considered the first documented vineyard in Europe, recorded since the year 470 AD. Nikolaihof in Mautern stands on the foundations of the Roman fort Favianis from 63 BC; the Saahs family has run the estate since 1894. The 22 hectares are farmed as a living organism, with wild herbs growing between the vines.

Pure varietal Grüner Veltliner. The musts ferment spontaneously, pressed in the Roman vaulted cellar with a 350-year-old oak-beam basket press. The wine ages for six years in large old wooden casks of between 2000 and 12000 litres, and is bottled on a fruit day. 1.6 g/l residual sugar meets 5.2 g/l acidity, with alcohol at 12.5% Vol.

The tea-like aromatics carry through with intensity, giving the wine an almost extractive depth without ever feeling heavy. A fine-grained tannin supports the aromatics, acidity stays moderate, and the inner tension is considerable. On the finish, cold smoke, tobacco, fennel seed and allspice merge with dried herbs, the finish lingering for minutes. The wine is built to age for decades.

Nikolaihof has farmed biodynamically to Demeter standards since 1971 and is considered the oldest Demeter estate in the world. In the Wachau, it remains to this day the only certified biodynamic producer.