Winemaker Notes
Historically, Pfaffenberg is the most famous site in Stein, part of it is technically in the Wachau. The vineyard is across the river and even further west than Mautern, for example. It's primary rock (urgestein) with sand and gravel, and it's the closest to the Danube River and steep, part of it reaching over 300 meters above sea level. Fermented spontaneously, with 5% whole berries, in stainless steel after 48 hour maceration. Aged 12 months in stainless, 10 months on gross lees and berries.
Professional Ratings
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Wine Enthusiast
This phenomenal wine shows a somewhat idiosyncratic style at first. It is soft spoken and needs time to unravel, with hints of lavender and jasmine. White raspberry notes emerge midpalate, intermingled with sea salt, coriander and tarragon, all tied to a vivid structure. It is pure and precise, with a tactile finish. Aging will help reveal the wine's facets even more. Best through 2035.
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James Suckling
Tons of bergamot and yellow grapefruit with touches of mint and parsley make quite a statement on the nose. Firm and stony, this is pretty radical on the tightly focused palate, which needs time to unwind. From biodynamically grown grapes with Demeter certification.
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.