Christie Kiley on May 27, 2014 0 Comments So yesterday I was about to finish up with work and I was off in a distance, fantasizing about the dinner I was going to make. Roasted organic chicken thighs seasoned with some curry, sage and some orange zest, with some new potatoes, spring onions and fennel and whole bulbs of garlic all to be placed around and underneath the chicken while it roasts. Then, I began to think about a wine for this meal. I had an idea what might go well with the chicken, but I wouldn’t know until I arrived at the wine shop. So this is what I ended up getting. The F X Pichler, Loibner Loibenberg Smaragd 2012 Gruner Veltliner from Wachau Austria. Wachau is pronounced as Bah (as a sheep would say)-how. Do not worry if you can’t pronounce the rest of it. Maybe just write it down on a piece of paper and pass it to the wine merchant and he can do the rest. I am sure you have read one of my wine reviews in the past about some German wines. I probably did not fail to mention how much I loved German wines. Well, Austrian wines are right up there with the German ‘Wein’ too. Just like German wines, the Austrian wines have all the information about its contents right on the label. However, you might only be able to understand it if you speak German. Before I get into the label translation, let me tell you a bit about the producer. The FX Pichler winery has been in the family for five generations. The vineyards are found in the Wachau Valley, on the southern side of the Danube River, where vines are planted on steep slopes, at times around 22 to 25°. This mode of vineyard cultivation in this part of the world dates back to the 13th century. The Pichler family only specializes in white wines and they only wish to make those which represent each year, the region from which the fruit is grown, their individual vineyards and the special climate of Wachau. Austria’s main wine region can be broken up into four regions; Lower Austria, Vienna, Burgenland and Styria. Wachau is a region all its own found in the northern region of Austria somewhere along the northern regions in between the sub-regions of Lower Austria of Kremstal and Traisental. The steep slopes of this area, along with its steeped shoreline give way to a microclimate all its own that result in wines of character found in no other place in the world. They have as much minerality as they have fruit, and they have as much boldness as they have subtlety. As Wachau is its own wine region and sub-region, it also has its own classification system. Let me help translate the label a bit for you. First, Loibenberg is the name of the vineyard owned by the Pichler family. ‘Smaragd’ is part of the classification system. Here is the breakdown for any label from Wachau: If you see ‘Steinfeder’ on the label, this means that the wine is going to contain no more tha 11% alcohol. These wines will contain a little bubble that will brighten the wine on your palate, but disperse after only a few seconds in the glass. The will also have a small amount of natural sweetness. ‘Federspiel’, the next level will have an alcohol content from 11% up to 12.5%. These will have a bit of residual sugar too, but by law cannot have more than four grams per liter. Now, the ripest and most mature grapes you will get out of Wachau will be labeled, like our wine today, ‘Smaragd’. These wines will contain at the minimum 12.5% alcohol. Due to the grapes’ maturity, these wines are the most balanced and the most coveted of the three classifications. You should feel so lucky you can score this one for around $36. This area of the world is known for the Riesling, but real Austrian wine lovers know about Gruner Veltliner. This 2012 F X Pichler Smaragd contains 14% alcohol and is a super mature wine with a beautiful structure. Any white wine, no matter where it has been produced in the world, has met their match. You will probably not sip on anything less from this point on. The F X Pichler, Loibner Loibenberg Smaragd 2012 Gruner Veltliner is crisp yet full. It is not full-bodied, but big in so many ways. The nose is like a fresh lemon-merengue pie, ripe orchard fruits with a note of flintiness and lemongrass. The first sip is silky with lemon nuances and mandarin orange matched and offset perfectly with a mouthwatering acidity and a minerality you can pleasantly chew on. I was so excited to get home to try the wine, I almost forgot the chicken! Don’t you do the same! More Wine Reviews: Fromm Clayvin Vineyard Pinot Noir 2011 Animal Espumante Chardonnay-Pinot Noir ATS Vineyard Chardonnay from Cuvaison 2011 Cakebread Cellars Red Hills 2010 Zinfandel
