Emmerich Knoll Vinothekfullung Gruner Veltliner Smaragd 2022

The 2019 Loibner Grüner Veltliner Smaragd Vinothekfüllung opens with a deep, complex, nuanced, refreshing, mineral, lemon-scented, crystalline, highly refined and elegant bouquet. On the palate, this is a dense, rich and extract-sweet, intense and powerful, highly finessed and elegant, incredibly long and aromatic Veltliner of great class and style. This is perhaps the finest 2019 of the domaine and surely a star of the vintage not only in the Wachau. Tasted at the domaine in June 2021.

The mellow richness of ripe Mirabelle on the nose seems bedded in rich, creamy yeast. A hint of ripe orange peel also glimmers. The palate is compact, concentrated and charged with salty yeast that holds insinuations of pepper and herb crushed on stone. A pithy texture lends shape while citrus zest channels all this forward, giving drive and pervasive freshness. That orange notion flashes up again on the dry finish. (AK)

A tight and fruity white with sliced-peach and lemon character with some walnut and flint. Full-bodied, very tight and rich with aniseed and gun-metal undertones to the mango and honey flavors. Steely. Very structured and very serious. Drinkable now, but better in 2022 and onwards.