2017 Martin Muthenthaler Veisslinger Stern Riesling, Wachau

From mica schist and vinified in acacia barrels, the 2017 Riesling Viesslinger Stern opens with a deep, clear and coolish, very intense but delicate and floral bouquet with crystalline flint- stone notes and white peach aromas. On the palate, this is a very elegant and perfectly mineral Riesling that is an amazing amalgam of crushed rocks and ripe and lush stone fruits. Everything is interwoven here, and the finish is as long and intense as it is tensioned and refreshing. Martin Muthenthaler's 2017 Stern is a classic in the making and one of the very finest Rieslings I have tasted in Austria this year (September 2019).

95 points Stephan Reinhardt robertparker.com Apr 2020 Drink 2020-2045

A 'one-man' operation in the truest sense of the phrase, Martin was a truck driver for Domäne Wachau for 20 years before he started making wine of his own in the Spitzer Graben valley in Austria's famous Wachau region. Since 2006 he has been cultivating 3 hectares of vines - all organic since the 2010 vintage - planted on poor rocky soils at high altitudes. All fruit is hand harvested by Martin, and fermented spontaneously with ambient yeast.