Klause am Berg Riesling trocken 2012

A dry Wachau Riesling that, after a decade of ageing, has retained its freshness and race. The aromatics are broad and delicate at once, the body light-footed at 12.5 % vol. yet still full. Anyone seeking a mature Riesling without heaviness will find here a combination of concentration and tension.

The Klause is a plot within the Steiner Gaisberg, not an official Riede but the uppermost, terraced section of this 5.7-hectare site, named after the hermitage located there. The Gaisberg lies at 230 to 330 metres above sea level on the tip and ridge of the hill, southeast-facing and well ventilated. The subsoil consists of Gföhl gneiss, mica schist and amphibolite. The vineyard name is documented as far back as 1215. Surrounded by forest, it has its own microclimate.

Single-varietal Riesling from Nikolaihof in Mautern, Austria's oldest winery, built on Roman foundations dating from 63 BC. The Saahs family has run the estate since 1894, farming biodynamically to Demeter standards since 1971 — the first certified estate in Austria and, to this day, the only one in the Wachau. The musts ferment spontaneously in large Slavonian oak casks; a 350-year-old tree press still operates in the Roman vaulted cellar.

The acidity is present and beautifully integrated, carrying the wine without making it lean. The taste is balanced, dense and round, with ripe fruit and a herbal note of tarragon and lemon balm. Potential right through to the last sip.

Archive Release 2024: the 2012 vintage went on sale only after more than a decade. Nikolaihof is regarded as the oldest Demeter winery in the world; its 1995 Vinothek Riesling was the first Austrian wine to receive 100 Parker points, in 2014.