Vom Stein Riesling Smaragd trocken 2021
The Vom Stein Riesling Smaragd 2021 is a dry Riesling from the Wachau, aged by Nikolaihof for two and a half years in large wooden casks after spontaneous fermentation.
CHF 52.50
Prices in CHF, including customs duty and all import charges, plus shipping CHF 15 (free from 12 bottles or CHF 300) — no further charges on delivery.
Available for Switzerland
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About this wine
Character
A deep, ripe and aromatic Riesling in intense golden yellow, where reduction and oxidation are calibrated with precision: ripe apples and apple skins over a slightly smoky note, joined by herbs, stone, a touch of blossom honey, wax and a hint of geuze.
Terroir and origin
The grapes come from Wachau vineyards with loess, clay and Danube gravel soils. Nikolaihof stands on the foundations of the Roman fort Favianis, dating from 63 BC; the inner courtyard holds the medieval Agapitus Chapel and an old linden tree. The Im Weingebirge vineyard is considered the first vineyard in Europe mentioned in a written document, recorded since 470 AD. The Saahs family has run the estate since 1894.
Grape variety and vinification
Pure Riesling, spontaneously fermented, then aged for two and a half years in large wooden casks. A 350-year-old tree press still operates in the Roman vaulted cellar, and the musts ferment in large Slavonian oak casks. Long cask ageing is a hallmark of the estate: the Vinothek 2008 spent 16 years in a 3,500-litre cask and was bottled in April 2024.
On the palate
Remarkably juicy and deep, yet pleasantly bitter with hints of peel and zest, and more acid-driven than the ripeness of the nose suggested. Yellow fruit and a saline-mineral component round out this still fairly firm composition, which has a long future ahead. 13.0% vol., dry.
Distinctive features
Since 1971, when Christine Saahs introduced Rudolf Steiner's biodynamic principles, Nikolaihof has worked to Demeter standards: Austria's first certified estate, to this day the Wachau's only certified biodynamic producer and the world's oldest Demeter estate. The 22 hectares function as a living organism, with wild herbs growing between the vines, bees and green lizards on the stone terraces.
