Im Weingebirge Grüner Veltliner Smaragd trocken 2015

The Nikolaihof is the oldest winery in Austria, with a history dating back to 63 A.D. After secularisation at the end of the 19th century, the farm passed into the ownership of the Saahs family, and in 2005 Nikolaus Saahs took over the management. Since 1971, the Nikolaihof has been working according to biodynamic principles, which resulted in Demeter certification. Since then, it has been called nettle liquid manure, valerian drops, horsetail tea and specially prepared preparations instead of herbicide, pesticide or fungicide.

The grapes for this Smaragd grow in the Im Weingebirge site, a vineyard where St. Severin retreated to pray 1500 years ago. The soils there consist of loam, loess and paragneiss. The grapes ferment spontaneously with their own yeasts, the must is matured for three and a half years in large, old barrels before it is filled with 2.1 grams of residual sugar and 5.9 grams of acidity. The wine should be decanted in good time before serving, even the large, expensive glasses are the container of choice here.

Rich golden yellow with lime green reflections.

The maturity in the wine is the main parameter of the 2015 Im Weingebirge Grüner Veltliner Smaragd from Nikolaihof. The characteristic nose is pronounced, and the predicate Smaragd is also obvious. In addition, there are distinctive aromas that tell of maturity without ageing. Despite its size, it has something youthful, wet, which is grounded by the grape variety, origin and ageing. With cool fruit, it is reminiscent of the bacon-shiny skin of the quince, light tobacco leaf and mace, dried Persian lime and lemon chicken from the oven complete the appearance and promise upscale Veltliner pleasure.

There are people who enter a room and it seems pleasantly filled with their personality. It is the same with this wine. One sip conveys a maximum of contemplation, serenity and calm. With enormous precision and nonchalance, it flows with its characteristic calm from the first sip to the finish. There is nothing cheeky about it, but it is characterised by tacit understatement. The silky fruit is viscously underpinned, the phenolic as delicate as silk. For the present enjoyment, it belongs in a carafe as well as in a large glass, but best in the cellar for further years of development.