2021 Hiedler Urgestein Langenlois Riesling, Kamptal

Medium yellow-green, silver reflections. Fine lime zest, a bit of peach and kiwi, fresh bouquet. Juicy, taut, lively acidity, mineral, white stone fruit, salty food wine.

91 points Falstaff

Weingut Hiedler is one of the historic names of Austria’s Kamptal, with the family cultivating vines in Langenlois since 1856. Today Ludwig and Dietmar Hiedler continue the estate’s thoughtful, terroir-focused approach, producing beautifully expressive wines from the region’s patchwork of ancient soils. Urgestein — literally “primary rock” — points directly to what makes this Riesling distinctive: vineyards rooted in some of Langenlois’ oldest crystalline bedrock.

The 2021 vintage was an excellent fit for Austrian Riesling, with a long growing season delivering ripe flavours alongside vibrant acidity. Langenlois sits where the warm Pannonian influence meets cooler air flowing from the Waldviertel, creating pronounced day-to-night temperature shifts. On the rocky Urgestein soils, that translates into Riesling with citrus drive, aromatic lift and a distinctly stony, savoury personality.

Pale gold with green highlights, the nose opens with lime zest, green apple and white peach before revealing grapefruit, apricot and delicate white flowers. With air come hints of wet stone, fresh herbs and a little citrus oil. The palate is taut and energetic, with lime and crunchy orchard fruit carried by mouthwatering acidity. There’s a lovely rocky texture through the middle, followed by grapefruit peel, apricot skin and a long, dry finish with a cool mineral snap.

This is terrific with schnitzel and cucumber-dill salad, grilled trout with brown butter, pork dumplings with ginger, sashimi with ponzu or crispy chicken with chilli and lime. Our pick is the schnitzel, golden buttery crumbs, lemon and razor-fresh Riesling is an Austrian partnership that requires absolutely no improvement.

Cellaring: Drink now to 2033.