2023 Alzinger Grüner Veltliner Loibenberg Smaragd, Wachau

A full-bodied yet elegant gruner veltliner that has notes of fennel, grapefruit, pear and crushed stone. Attractive herb undertones with a tannin touch on a long and textured finish. Drink now or hold.

94 points jamessuckling.com

The Alzinger Grüner Veltliner Loibenberg Smaragd from the Wachau is a powerful yet finely detailed white from one of Austria’s most highly regarded producers. The Alzinger family works steep terraced vineyards along the Danube, crafting wines of purity and elegance in very small quantities. The Loibenberg vineyard is one of the Wachau’s most famous sites, with its sun-drenched, south-facing terraces of gneiss and mica-schist producing Grüner Veltliner of intensity, ripeness and mineral precision. The “Smaragd” classification represents the ripest and most structured style of Wachau wines, built for both power and longevity.

In the glass it is pale gold with green highlights. The bouquet is aromatic and complex, offering ripe pear, white peach and melon alongside notes of white pepper, tobacco leaf, herbs and a distinctive flinty minerality. The palate is full-bodied and textural, with concentrated stone fruit and citrus flavours supported by fine acidity and a savoury, spicy backbone. Layers of mineral and herbal complexity carry through to a long, structured and elegant finish, showing both richness and finesse.

Food pairings highlight its weight and versatility: roast pork with crackling, schnitzel, grilled white fish with herbs, or dishes with a touch of spice such as Thai green curry. It is also superb with aged alpine cheeses. With 15 to 20 years of cellaring potential, the wine evolves into something deeply complex, gaining honeyed, nutty and smoky notes while retaining its mineral spine.