Winemaker Notes
This riesling comes from parts of the Pfaffenberg, lower terraces below the Schreck and from sites across the river in the Wachau. 100% spontaneously fermented in stainless steel and raised on the lees, with 2% whole grapes, for 9 months in stainless steel and 5% in neutral oak.
Professional Ratings
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Vinous
The 2022 Riesling Handwerk was harvested from a mix of sites following a hail event on 18 August that destroyed half the fruit in its usual parcels. Stagård supplemented with fruit from the Kögl, Grillenparz and Gaisberg, thus representing great, but unnamed, provenance. This includes 2% of whole berries, and 10% of the wine fermented in wood. Beautifully subtle notions of crushed citrus leaf verge into ripe lemon zest on the tender nose. The palate comes in with cooling, soothing serenity on a very slender but smooth body, displaying overtones of conifer, citrus leaf and a smattering of pepper. This is a picture of slenderness with mouthfeel and citric serenity. (Bone-dry)
Riesling possesses a remarkable ability to reflect the character of wherever it is grown while still maintaining its identity. A regal variety of incredible purity and precision, this versatile grape can be just as enjoyable dry or sweet, young or old, still or sparkling and can age longer than nearly any other white variety. Somm Secret—Given how difficult it is to discern the level of sweetness in a Riesling from the label, here are some clues to find the dry ones. First, look for the world “trocken.” (“Halbtrocken” or “feinherb” mean off-dry.) Also a higher abv usually indicates a drier Riesling.
The region of considerable geologic diversity and microclimates, Kremstal extends virtually without border east from Wachau along the Danube River. Its magnificent terraced and rocky vineyards in the west alongside Wachau include some of Austria’s most esteemed Riesling vineyards, the (Steiner) Hund and Pfaffenberg, as well as Kögl and Wachtberg nearer to the city of Krems. After Krems, the vineyards become excessively steep upstream around Senftenberg where Riesling and Grüner Veltliner thrive. Grüner Veltliner does best from here east where the soils become a mix of sand, gravel and loess.
Grüner Veltliner and Riesling together comprise two thirds of all of the Kremstal vineyards; the region itself represents about five percent of Austria’s total vineyard area.