Weingut Emmerich Knoll 'Vinothekfullung' Riesling Smaragd, Wachau, Austria

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Featuring fruit from the Loibenberg, with small contributions from Schutt and Kellerberg, the Knolls’ 2007 Riesling Smaragd Vinothekfullung is dominated by ripe peach with pungent brown spices and white pepper. A rich, savory mineral and meat note wells up, a bit Chablis-like, amid its glossy and opulent palate display, and it finishes with considerable force, if also a touch of heat from its roughly 14% alcohol. I simply have not yet been convinced (but much more tasting is necessary, as my experience is largely with mature Loibenberg and Schutt bottlings) that the increase in richness and size encountered with this and many other Knoll Vinothek bottlings is truly conducive to more appropriately cellaring the wine, let alone to its being longer-lived. I would favor planning to drink this big boy over the next 5-7 years. Like many of their neighbors, the Knolls harvested Federspiel already in late September, but then largely sat out the rains for three weeks before commencing to pick Smaragd. Botrytis-affected clusters were segregated and pressed immediately, and even the entirely healthy portion of the crop was given less skin contact than usual. A few botrytized rows or parcels were left to hang for nobly sweet wine (in a vintage where few Wachauer followed suit) although not from Riesling. I continue to long for the return of a vintage wherein the Knoll Gruner Veltliner outshines their Riesling, as has not happened for some years now. As has once again become the norm here, none of the Smaragd (save for the Muskateller) were bottled before late summer of last year, and my most recent notes are from cask (or occasionally tank).Importer: Vin Divino, Chicago, IL; tel. (773) 334-6700