Rudi Pichler Gruner Veltliner Smaragd Kollmutz, Wachau, Austria

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Pichler’s 2006 Gruner Veltliner Smaragd Kollmutz smells rather demurely of lentil and herbs, then offers real depth of flavor. Lentil, bitter-sweet herbs, coffee, citrus, and un-specifiable mineral notes pour over the palate in rich profusion, yet with great clarity, purity, and primary fruit juiciness. The wine’s 14.5% alcohol is nowhere in evidence in its strikingly long and rich yet bracing and subtly bitter finish. I would make up my mind in five or six years whether it would merit holding for longer. A separate batch of Kollmutz Gruner Veltliner that topped 15% alcohol was held back and may be bottled as a “Reserve.” From tank, it added ripeness, richness, and bitter citrus oil, finishing low-toned and faintly warm. Rudi Pichler picked and vinified with his usual sensitivity, thereby achieving a surprisingly broad stylistic range, even though the total length of harvest was unusually short. Flowering here just escaped the period of intense June heat that led to a reduced crop at most Wachau addresses.Importer: Vin Divino, Chicago, IL; tel. (773) 334-6700

A wine that goes way over the top in its richness, power and concentration, and yet somehow keeps its balance and freshness. At the end, the pepper and fruit rather than the alcohol are dominant.——R.V.(5/1/2008)—— 92