2020 Prager Grüner Veltliner Smaragd Achleiton

Region: Wachau, Austria

Grape: Grüner Veltliner

Culinary Suggestions: Seafood and South East Asian Dishes

About

Toni Bodenstein is an icon of the new Austria and innovative in his approach. He’s been in control of winemaking since the early nineties and has positioned Prager firmly in Europe’s top echelon. The estate’s vineyards cover 16.5ha; 60% planted to Riesling, 40% Grüner Veltliner. Toni is the foremost authority in the region on the hugely diverse mesoclimates across the valley. His entry-level Grüner
and Riesling are the epitome of Wachau purity and the rest of the range is a fascinating study in the terroir of Austria's greatest white-wine region. As Falstaff magazine puts it: "Bodenstein creates wines that unite elegance and finesse with expressiveness and power. These wines show that the great growths of the Wachau are some of the best in the world." - Importer Note

Tasting Notes

Delicate nose of tart apricot, lemon zest, sage and sushi ginger leads you into a cool, compact and very well structured palate. Mineral power builds on the bold finish, where the wine seems a lot bigger than on the front palate. Drink or hold. 

94 points - Stuart Pigott, jamessuckling.com September 2021

From 50-year-old vines on deep Alpine sediments, the 2020 Ried Achleiten Grüner Veltliner Smaragd is deep, intense and complex on the elegant, coolish, flinty and leafy nose that delivers white fruit and fresh lemon juice aromas. Full-bodied, lush and round, this is a rich but refined and elegant, fruit-intense and minerally structured Achleiten that is concentrated, fresh and quite powerful on the intense and sustainable finish. A wine to keep for at least 5 years. Bottled at the end of May after aging on the lees until early May. 

94+ points - Stephan Reinhardt, Wine Advocate June 2021

Drink: 2025 - 2050