Riesling Riede Steiner Schreck “This is not a love song” 2019

This is a Riesling from 80 year old vines from parcels of the Steiner Schreck, the demeter-certified farming. The Steiner Schreck lies around 320 metres above sea level and is one of the steepest sites in the Krems Valley. It is characterised by Gföller gneiss and granite. The Riesling was harvested at the equivalent of 11.5 vol.-% on 8. 9. 2019.

It was pressed extremely slowly over two days on the self-designed 100-tonne tree press. The pressing process itself is completely reductive, but afterwards the juice has time to brown, so it is deliberately exposed to oxidation. The juice is fermented spontaneously and aged for two and a half years on full lees in a Bordelais 1,000-litre stoneware amphora, which allows for micro-oxygenation similar to that of a large wooden barrel. During fermentation, Lang adds 3 to 5 % destemmed grapes, which ferment intercellularly to keep the fermentation process going despite the constant 9 °C in the cellar. Later, the wine is minimally sulphurised. It was bottled unfiltered and lightly sulphured in February 2021 with 0 g/l sugar and 8.0 g/l total acidity.

Light to medium golden yellow with light green reflections

The nose of this wine is extremely discreet at the beginning and you can hardly recognise the Riesling. It currently needs air and time - lots of air and time. When it gets both, it becomes a complex and sensual masterpiece with notes of verbena and white flowers, lemons and some mandarins, mirabelles and crisp peaches, some lanolin and an impressive spiciness that reminds one a little of anise, rock gravel and pepper. On top are notes of roses and white blossoms.

On the palate, the Riesling from the Steiner Schreck appears salty, fresh, crystalline and clear with a rather punchy acidity at the beginning and, despite the long maturation, still clear carbonic acid that only dissipates with time. What seems taut at first then becomes silkier, juicier and spicier with time, with plenty of mouth-watering salt in the long, almost electrifying, powerful but always elegant finish. The new vintage of a real Riesling unique!