Online Fine Wine Tasting - FX Pichler Riesling Durnsteiner Kellerberg Smaragd Vertical 2009-2016

F.X. Pichler is the Chateau Latour, Domaine de la Romanée-Conti, Zind-Humbrecht, Sandrone and Helen Turley of the Wachau." –Robert Parker, The Wine Advocate. On this really wonderful evening we excitedly welcome award-winning winemaker Lucas Pichler from the most highly-regarded and respected estate in Austria. We’ll also taste a 100-point wine as awarded by James Suckling (see below) on this really spectacular tasting exploring a vertical from 2009 to 2016 of the famous Durnsteiner Kellerberg vineyard. This is Riesling at its finest.

It is not often that one can talk about the greatest producer in a given country (but Austria is small, so here one has an advantage). And while there are many great winemakers in Austria, none is more synonymous with great Austrian wine than F.X. Pichler, or as he is simply called, F.X. In fact so riveting is his reputation that one author on Austrian wine who was prompted to list the 100 greatest producers in Austria, in order of greatness, lists F.X. Pichler as #1. When one tastes the wines, you’ll see why all the awe. They are truly monumental dry white wines – each with a mouth-filling presence, finish and complexity that leaves one speechless. 

Durnsteiner Kellerberg Vineyard

The Kellerberg is an internationally critically acclaimed vineyard site par excellence. This vineyard has steep inclines and barren bedrock terraces. It faces due south to south-east and forms an outlet of a tributary valley with an exceptional microclimate. The Dürnsteiner Kellerberg is blessed with early morning sunshine, with much of the site profiting from much-needed shade from the early afternoon rays during the summer months. The latter has a huge benefit on drawing out the ripening of the grapes. At night, cool air currents from the surrounding woodlands help to retain aromatic freshness and provide complex texture and finely nuanced minerality, with tropical and seductive aromas. In autumn, diurnal temperature differences between warm days and cool nights are a significant factor during maturation process and ensure that the grapes retain their aromas.

Tasting Date: Friday 30th April 2021 at 6:30pm (the tasting will last approximately 2 hours).

TASTING FEE STRUCTURE:

For this special two-hour tasting, an exclusive tasting kit is included in the listed price which includes a 75ml tasting sample of each wine, as well as tasting mat, tasting note paper and pen. Note: Tasting kits will be despatched to attendees within the week leading up to the tasting. Upon placing your order, you will receive a link to confirm all delivery details in your booking confirmation email. Currently, we are only able to deliver tasting kits within the UK.

DON'T WANT TO RECEIVE A TASTING KIT? We understand that not everyone will want to receive the wine samples, and would rather just register to participate in the online evening without the wines. That is absolutely fine! The fee to just register for this evening without receiving a tasting kit is £10. Just enter the promotional code: 100REGONLY when checking out to ensure you just pay the registration cost. 

Tasting Kit: What's Included:

• 75ml tasting sample of each wine (6 in total) contained in a sterilised glass bottle and preserved with an inert gas (designed specifically for wine preservation)
• Tasting mat
• Tasting note sheet
• West London Wine School pen

Wines Included in Tasting Kit:

2016 FX Pichler Kellerberg Riesling Smaragd Wachau

• 100 points James Suckling
• An amazingly concentrated dry riesling that somehow manages to be extraordinarily light-footed. There's a super-wide spectrum of aromas from parsley through lemon grass, with ripe white peach, mandarin orange and white chocolate in between. The breathtaking balance is more important than all of this, extending right through the incredibly long, lingering finish. Drink any time during the next thirty years! *Ranked #7 on Top 100 of 2017* (11/2017)

2015 FX Pichler Kellerberg Riesling Smaragd Wachau

• 94 points Stephan Reinhardt Wine Advocate
• The 2015 Riesling Smaragd Dürnsteiner Kellerberg displays a clear, ripe and concentrated bouquet of white fruits intermixed with crystalline flavors of the weathered gneiss and granite soils. Full-bodied, piquant and full of tension, this is a stunningly clear and refreshing Smaragd from a warm year. The alcohol is well hidden and the finish is very long and vibrantly fresh. There is a lot of mineral tension and music in this wine that should be cellared for another five or six years

2013 FX Pichler Kellerberg Riesling Smaragd Wachau

• 18/20 Jancis Robinson
• Crystalline. Pure flavours but very full-bodied. Powdery texture. Big and opulent with some lychee flavours. Gorgeous. 13.5%. Drink 2015-2028.

2012 FX Pichler Kellerberg Riesling Smaragd Wachau

• 18/20 points Jancis Robinson
• Very broad, rich nose and underneath extremely 'mineral' and earthy. Hugely satisfying (05,2014)

2011 FX Pichler Kellerberg Riesling Smaragd Wachau

2009 FX Pichler Kellerberg Riesling Smaragd Wachau

TASTING FORMAT:

Lucas Pichler and Jimmy Smith will host this exclusive tasting live at 6:30pm on Friday 30th April 2021. This single-evening tasting will be approximately 2 hours in length. 

Unable to commit on the evening? No problem! Anyone registered for this tasting will gain access to the video recording of the live event, so you can always revisit any of these at anytime in the future - whether its because you missed participating in the live evening or if you want to revisit the presentation at a later date.