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Pichler-Krutzler, Riesling Loibner, “Trum”

Wachau, Austria 2015 (750mL)
$29.00
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SommSelect

Pichler-Krutzler, Riesling Loibner, “Trum”

Today’s wine is the latest example of the off-the-charts quality-for-price found in Austria’s Wachau region, one of the most beautiful wine-growing regions on earth. It is incredible how much world-class Riesling can still be had from this appellation for peanuts, and there’s no question in my mind that Austrian and German Rieslings are the most under-valued assets in the world of wine.
To wit: For a wine costing less than $30, Pichler-Krutzler’s 2015 Riesling “Trum” offers some serious pedigree, starting with co-proprietor Elizabeth Pichler, daughter of Wachau eminence F.X. Pichler. Along with her husband, Erich Krutzler—an accomplished vigneron and wine-family scion in his own right—Elizabeth hung out a shingle in Oberloiben, at a bend in the Danube thick with prestige wine estates (Emmerich Knoll; Alzinger; Tegernseerhof). The vineyard source of today’s wine, “Trum,” is a prized lowland site and, unless you’ve only just subscribed to SommSelect, you know what to expect from the exceptional 2015 vintage—namely, a mixture of serious power and racy freshness that would seem physically impossible but is, as one sip of this wine confirms, very real indeed. Richly textured but also dry and detailed, this wine easily competes with those of Elizabeth’s father and the other big-name Wachau houses, albeit at a significant discount. If you are a dry Riesling lover, you need to jump all over this.
Located near Krems, at the eastern end of the Wachau, “Trum” is not one of the steep, terraced that loom above the Danube but rather a site close to the river on lower ground, with soils comprised of wind-blown sand and gravel (Trum runs up to the foot of the famed “Schütt” vineyard; not surprisingly, Erich and Elizabeth have an interactive map of their vineyard holdings for those who’d like to geek out further). Located not far from Krems, at the eastern end of the Wachau appellation, this area around the village of Dürnstein feels a stronger warming influence from the Pannonian plain to the east, and it is reflected in this wine: there’s a palpable depth and weight on the palate, but as this is Riesling we’re talking about, there’s also gripping minerality and a bright, refreshing surge of acidity keeping the wine in pitch-perfect balance. 

Fermented and aged in stainless steel tanks and bottled in the Spring following the vintage, this is crystalline Wachau Riesling blessed with an extra gear thanks to a combination of vineyard and vintage: In the glass, the 2015 is a pale straw-gold moving to green and silver at the rim, with a heady nose of white peach, lime blossom, green mango, honeysuckle, aromatic green herbs, white flowers, white pepper, flint, and crushed stones. Medium-plus in body, the wine has a palate-coating texture checked beautifully by freshness, keeping the finish dry and floral. Decant a bottle of this soon and serve at 50 degrees in white wine stems, but do try to find some space for a few bottles in your cellar. Over the next 5-7 years, this wine is going to put on weight and develop more savory “petrol” and wet-stone notes as it ages. It absolutely has the stuffing for cellaring and will make an amazing partner for an assortment of Thai or Vietnamese preparations. Check it out with the attached Thai green curry recipe and be prepared for the bottle to disappear quickly. It is straight-up delicious!
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Country
Austria
Region
Wachau
Sub-Region
AustriaLoibner Trum vineyard
Soil
Sand & Gravel
Farming
Sustainable
Blend
Riesling 100%
Alcohol
12.5
OAK
None
TEMP.
50
Glassware
All-Purpose Whites
Drinking
Now-2020
Decanting
Optional
Pairing
Thai Green Curry

Austria

Northeastern Austria

Weinviertel

Considered by most to be the oldest growing zone in Austria, Weinviertel is also, geographically, the largest in the country and covers the vast, northeastern expanse of Lower Austria, stretching from the western border of Slovakia, following the Danube inland and veering up to the southern border of Czechia. Its name, which translates to “wine quarter,” reflects the region’s rich, ancient wine heritage and, according to the Weinviertel DAC website, there are “7,000 years of artifacts to prove it.”

Northeastern Austria

Wachau

Austria’s Wachau appellation is the country’s most acclaimed region. About an hour northwest of Vienna along the Danube River, the vista of the steep, terraced vineyards of the Wachau creates a magnificent landscape akin to a verdant, ancient amphitheater—it is a UNESCO World Heritage site, after all. With rich and unique soils here of löess and gneiss, which lend vivid minerality to the wine.

Eastern Austria

Burgenland

The Burgenland appellation, running along Austria’s border with Hungary southeast of Vienna, has a diverse topography and a mix of soils, with more primary rock and slate at higher locations and dense loams in the rolling hills that extend toward the Pannonian plain.

Southeastern Austria

Steiermark

The region of Styria (Steiermark) is in southeastern Austria which sits near the border with Slovenia. This area is studded with long-extinct volcanoes whose deposits are a key component of the local soils and the vineyards benefit from a classic Austrian push-pull of cool Alpine air and warmer “Pannonian” currents from the east.

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