2013 Weingut Knoll, Gruner Veltliner, Loibner Wachau, Federspiel, Austria.
The Emmerich Knoll wines always impress and are some of Austria’s most beautiful expressions of Riesling and Gruner Veltliner, and these 2013 offerings are sublime, especially the Federspiel Gruner Loiben which shows a vibrant and vivid crystalline mineral tone and lifting acidity. The 2013 vintage, for me, is a good a vintage as I’ve ever seen in Gruner Veltliner, these wines are full of life, intensity and incredibly pure with dry extract and a pretty range of flavors and tangy dynamic fruit. In particular Emmerich Knoll’s 2013 Federspiel Loibner Gruner almost defines the year and varietal to perfection, this is glorious and pleasing stuff with fresh lemon/lime, white peach, almond notes, crushed stones and liquid steel, it tingles the palate and is wonderfully crisp, though it does expand with air to reveal a bit of density, this is sublime Gruner and a massively appealing foodie wine. Being a Federspiel it feels a bit on the lighter side, coming in between the 11.5 and 12.5 alcohol, mandated by the category and there is certain playful quality and charm, making it easy to love, but it is a serious effort and will age well over the next 3 to 7 years, drink from 2015 to 2022. While the 2012 vintage was good all around and 2011 shined especially bright for Riesling, the 2013 vintage in Austria is the year of Gruner Veltliner, you should be sure to get them, these are electrifying and exciting wines with loads of character, quality and elegance, with Knoll one of the top of the top, do not miss.
($33 Est.) 93 Points, grapelive
