Weingut Emmerich Knoll : Riesling Ried Loibenberg Smaragd 2022

Knoll's iconic 2022 Ried Loibenberg Loibner Riesling Smaragd shows fine, elegant, ripe fruit with delicate soil spice. Dense and concentrated on the palate, this full-bodied, extract-rich and complex Loibenberg Riesling develops excellent length. This is a reliable top wine. Tasted at Schloss Dürnstein, Wachau, in September 2023.

The delicate fresh pineapple and curry leaf nose pulls you into this medium-bodied dry riesling until you are trapped in its web. What an exciting interplay of exotic fruit ripeness and mountain stream acidity this has on the super-focused palate. Very long, almost steely finish. Drink or hold.

Unterloiben. Sandy, stony soil over granitic gneiss. 414 m from the Danube, terraced and steep at up to 394 m. Vibrant lemon fruit with a hint of just-ripe pear and spice. Open, full of life and freshness. Pure-fruited, relatively light but deliciously creamy in the mouth. Deep, crisp and even, to quote the Good King Wenceslas carol. Pure, long, refined. (JH)

The 2022 Riesling Loibenberg Smaragd opens with a pure, ripe Navel orange scent, seemingly powered by an ozone breeze. The palate is concentrated, adding a proper portion of yeast while intensifying that juicy, orange zesty feel that radiates from the mid-palate. That zestiness continues right through to the finish. This is lip-smacking and very appetizing. (Bone-dry)