Vinothek Riesling trocken 2002

Wine description for Vinothek Riesling trocken 2002 by Nikolaihof

Colour & Appearance

Pale golden yellow, clear and luminous – a wine that does not conceal its sixteen years of cask ageing, but rather wears them with quiet dignity.

Nose

Nobility rather than volume: beeswax, a fine herbal infusion reminiscent of the finest genever, alongside freshly sliced apricot and crushed stone. With air, the yellow stone fruit becomes more opulent and profound, as the extended maturation slowly reveals itself.

Palate

Creamy yet tightly woven, it expands across the palate. A fine, unifying acidity meets serious phenolics, accompanied by a spectrum of earthy, stony and spicy notes leaning towards liquorice and wax. Fruit is not in the foreground – it is structure, texture and transparency that define this wine. Juicy and precise, with subtle hints of stone and pome fruit.

Finish

Long, taut and vibrant – one has the impression that, despite its years, this wine is only just beginning its evolution.

Terroir & Origin

The vineyard site Im Weingebirge, above Mautern, is regarded as Europe’s first documented vineyard – recorded since the year 470. A gentle slope rising from 207 to 223 metres, paragneiss with a loess topsoil, over 2,500 hours of sunshine per year, entirely owned by the Saahs family. The Nikolaihof itself stands on Roman foundations dating back to 63 BC – a wine history older than almost any other.

Grape Variety & Vinification

Riesling Smaragd, which, unlike the earlier-bottled regular cuvée, was aged for 16 years in a 3,500-litre oak cask. Since 1971, the estate has been farmed biodynamically according to Demeter – as Austria’s first Demeter-certified winery and the only certified biodynamic estate in the Wachau. Spontaneous fermentation in large Slavonian oak casks is part of the house’s traditional craft.

Food Pairings

Lake char with clover, fig and beeswax – an echo of the waxy notes in the glass. Braised courgette blossoms with spring vegetables and honeycomb reflect the wine’s herbal dimension. For those preferring something richer: veal kidney with cress, capers and potatoes.

Special Features

The Vinothek line is the estate’s hallmark: extreme cask ageing as a stylistic signature. The 1995 vintage of this series became the first Austrian wine to receive 100 Parker points in 2014 – and was offered by Christine Saahs only by the glass at her own restaurant, Unter der Linde. The 2002 carries the same patience within: a Wachau Riesling that favours elegance over concentration, with a moderate 12.5% alcohol and a longevity that promises decades yet to come.