semicolon ; Riesling 2020

Wine description for semicolon ; Riesling 2020 by Nikolaihof

Colour & Appearance

Deep, saturated golden yellow – a colour that already hints at the unconventional vinification with 30% skin contact. A Riesling that visually signals its departure from the mainstream right from the start.

Nose

Initially closed and demanding – this wine needs air, preferably in a decanter. Then a fascinating aromatic profile unfolds: dried meadow herbs, apple skin and wine yeast form the foundation. With oxygen come quince, honeysuckle, chamomile and elderflower – a bouquet that evokes a summer meadow rather than classic Wachau Riesling. Primal, intense, uncompromising.

Palate

Precise and bone-dry, with a yeasty, spicy texture that makes the 30% skin-fermented portion distinctly apparent. This Riesling challenges the drinker: no obliging fruit, no flattery, but rather a refreshing, almost ascetic radicality. The acidity is vibrant, the structure clearly defined – a wine that shows character.

Finish

Long, herbaceous and with a saline minerality that lingers. The yeast notes remain present and lend the finale an almost bread-like complexity.

Terroir & Origin

From the Wachau, that legendary Riesling region on the Danube. Yet Katharina Salzgeber and Nikolaus Saahs of Nikolaihof are less interested in convention than in potential – they explore what happens when established patterns are broken.

Grape Variety & Vinification

100% Riesling, but different: 30% skin fermentation, 70% must, ten months in used wood. No fining, no stabilisation, no filtration, no added sulphur. A natural approach that lends the wine its raw authenticity – and polarises.

Food Pairing Suggestions

This wine demands equally purist cuisine: wild herb semolina dumplings with plantain, quiche with dandelion pesto and chard or crostini with celeriac salad and trout. Herb-intensive, natural dishes are the ideal partner.

Special Features

The “semicolon” project is a deliberate rebellion against the predictable – like the semicolon in grammar, this wine appeals to the discerning drinker ready to leave the familiar behind. Not for beginners, everything for explorers.