Steiner Hund, Riesling Reserve 2008

The Steiner Hund Riesling Reserve 2008 is a dry Wachau Riesling that Nikolaihof let rest for sixteen years in a large wooden cask, only bottling it in April 2024. It shows character and edges on both nose and palate, which is exactly what makes it interesting: fine-boned, spicy, with a moderate 13.0% vol. alcohol content.

The Ried Steiner Hund stretches above Stein an der Donau into the side valley of the Reisperbachtal. The terraced vineyards face south, lie at 230 to 290 metres, and drop with slopes of up to 36°. In the eastern part, where Nikolaihof holds its property, the vines root in acidic, crystalline gneiss and mica schist with amphibolite, topped by a dry rigosol soil with low water-retention capacity and high permeability. The name is first documented in 1470.

Riesling, spontaneously fermented and aged in large Slavonian oak casks, pressed in the Roman vaulted cellar with a 350-year-old tree press. The 2008 spent sixteen years in a 3,500-litre cask before being bottled as Archive Release 2024.

On the nose, dark rose blossoms, melon and bee honey, alongside a hint of curry powder, clove and turmeric powder. The wine has relatively low acidity, tastes creamy, soft and juicy, invites another glass, and feels remarkably fresh for its youthful character. It has proven itself an excellent food companion.

Nikolaihof in Mautern stands on the foundations of Favianis, a Roman fort dating from 63 BC. The Im Weingebirge vineyard is considered the first documented vineyard in Europe, recorded since 470 AD. The Saahs family has farmed the 22 hectares since 1894, biodynamic according to Demeter since 1971: the oldest Demeter estate in the world and the only certified biodynamic producer in the Wachau.