Behind The Wine: Weingut Emmerich Knoll

A true SommSelect favorite since our inception, Emmerich Knoll has been championed with great fanfare from day one and there’s no better time to celebrate the legendary Wizard of the Wachau than during the holidays. Few producers command such reverence for Austrian white wine. This exclusive 2022 Vintage Collection features Grüner Veltliner and Riesling from Knoll’s most prized sites, all bottled as Smaragd wines. Drawn from steep granite terraces and shaped by meticulous, traditional winemaking, these bottles deliver power, precision, and extraordinary longevity. Rare, collectible, and consistently highly scored, this lineup is essential for serious enthusiasts and collectors alike.

History

Few estates have influenced the global understanding of the Wachau as profoundly as Emmerich Knoll. The Knoll family has farmed vineyards in Unterloiben since the early 19th century, building a multigenerational legacy rooted in patience, precision, and an unwavering respect for site. While the estate’s foundations are historic, its modern reputation was firmly established in 1962, when the iconic Saint Urban label first appeared on Knoll bottles. Over time, that image has become one of the most recognizable symbols in Austrian wine, synonymous with rigor, authenticity, and uncompromising quality.

Under Emmerich Knoll and now the next generation, the estate has remained steadfastly traditional in both philosophy and practice. Fermentations rely on native yeasts, élevage takes place in large neutral oak casks, and releases are never rushed, allowing each wine to fully express its vineyard and vintage. Today, the family farms approximately 16 hectares across some of the Wachau’s most revered sites, including Kellerberg, Loibenberg, Pfaffenberg, and Schütt, producing wines celebrated for their clarity, mineral intensity, and remarkable longevity. For serious white wine enthusiasts seeking depth, structure, and ageworthiness beyond Chardonnay, Emmerich Knoll remains a benchmark producer whose wines reward both immediate enjoyment and long-term cellaring.

Emmerich Knoll Vineyards

The estate farms approximately 16 hectares of steep, terraced vineyards along the Danube, planted primarily to Grüner Veltliner and Riesling. These sites are among the most revered in the Wachau, defined by granite and gneiss soils, dramatic elevation, and exceptional exposure. All vineyards are hand-harvested, emphasizing precision, balance, and terroir clarity.

Key vineyards include:

• Kellerberg - Kellerberg rises steeply above the village of Dürnstein and is widely regarded as one of the Wachau’s most formidable vineyards. Its predominantly south and southeast facing slopes receive generous sunlight while benefiting from cool nights driven by elevation and the Danube’s influence. The soils are a complex mix of weathered gneiss with pockets of loess, creating wines of immense structure and mineral density. At Knoll, Kellerberg produces powerful, tightly coiled wines with deep stone fruit, saline intensity, and a firm acid backbone that demands patience and rewards long-term aging.

• Loibenberg – One of the Wachau’s largest and most continuous vineyard sites, rising dramatically from the banks of the Danube to high terraced slopes above the valley floor. Its sun-drenched southern exposure promotes full ripeness, while elevation and airflow preserve freshness and balance. The soils are dominated by fractured gneiss with interspersed loess and gravel, encouraging deep root systems and layered complexity. Wines from Loibenberg are broad and muscular yet remarkably composed, offering generous texture, spice, and depth without sacrificing precision or longevity.

• Pfaffenberg – Slightly removed from the core Wachau valley and carries a subtly cooler overall profile. Its slopes receive ample sunlight, but the site’s elevation and airflow contribute to slower ripening and heightened aromatic clarity. The soils combine gneiss with a higher proportion of loess, lending finesse and refinement to the wines. Knoll’s Pfaffenberg bottlings are elegant and finely etched, marked by citrus, white stone fruit, and a vibrant mineral line that emphasizes purity and balance over sheer power.

• Schütt – Schütt occupies a lower position near Unterloiben and is shaped by centuries of alluvial deposits carried from surrounding slopes and waterways. Its soils are coarser and more varied, composed of sand, gravel, and fractured rock, allowing for excellent drainage and concentrated fruit development. The site benefits from warmth during the day while retaining freshness through nighttime cooling from the Danube. Wines from Schütt are deeply expressive and savory, combining ripe intensity with mineral tension and a distinctive earthy complexity that sets them apart within Knoll’s lineup.

Emmerich Knoll Wine Releases

Emmerich Knoll’s wine program is built around a singular goal: translating the character of the Wachau’s greatest vineyards into wines of precision, structure, and longevity. Production focuses primarily on Grüner Veltliner and Riesling, released under the Wachau’s traditional quality tiers, Steinfeder, Federspiel, and Smaragd representing the estate’s most powerful and age-worthy expressions. Fermentations are carried out with native yeasts, and élevage takes place in large, neutral oak casks to preserve purity and site expression rather than impose oak character. Select vintages also see Vinothekabfüllung bottlings, reserved for the most complete and concentrated wines. Across all levels, Knoll’s releases are defined by balance over excess, mineral clarity over overt fruit, and a proven ability to evolve beautifully for decades in the cellar.

Riesling Smaragd “Pfaffenberg” 2022

Composition: 100% Riesling
Profile: A Riesling of finesse and crystalline clarity, offering citrus zest, white peach, and delicate florals over a stony, mineral backbone. Elegant and vibrant, with remarkable balance and lift.
Vinification: Hand-harvested fruit, fermented with native yeasts, and aged in large neutral oak casks to preserve purity and site expression.
Aging Potential: 15–25 years
Why it’s exceptional: Pfaffenberg captures the cool, precise side of Wachau Riesling—focused, refined, and endlessly nuanced.
Critical Acclaim: Consistently lauded for its precision, minerality, and ability to evolve gracefully over decades.

Grüner Veltliner Smaragd “Loibenberg” 2022

Composition: 100% Grüner Veltliner
Profile: Layered and commanding, with ripe stone fruit, citrus oil, white pepper, and savory herbal tones. Dense yet impeccably balanced, with a long, saline finish.
Vinification: Hand-harvested, naturally fermented, and matured in large-format oak to build texture without masking terroir.
Aging Potential: 15–30 years
Why it’s exceptional: Loibenberg Grüner represents the pinnacle of the variety—powerful, structured, and built for the long haul.
Critical Acclaim: Frequently cited as one of Austria’s greatest white wines, prized for its depth, longevity, and unmistakable sense of place.

Critical Acclaim

For white wine lovers seeking weight, structure, and longevity beyond Chardonnay, Emmerich Knoll remains unmatched. These 2022 Smaragd wines are profound expressions of vineyard and vintage—serious, collectible, and deeply rewarding with time. We strongly recommend securing multiple bottles to enjoy both now and across decades of evolution.

From a sommelier’s perspective, Emmerich Knoll represents the rare intersection of power, restraint, and longevity. These are wines that deliver immediate textural pleasure while maintaining the structure and mineral tension required for serious aging. They pair effortlessly with food, evolve beautifully in the cellar, and offer a sense of place that remains unmistakable even decades on. For professionals and collectors alike, Knoll is not just a benchmark for the Wachau, but a reference point for world-class dry white wine.

Shop The Emmerich Knoll Collection Here