Winery Franz Hirtzberger Singerriedel Riesling Smaragd 2020

Winery Franz Hirtzberger Singerriedel Riesling Smaragd 2020

Winery: Franz Hirtzberger (Spitz, Wachau, Austria)
Site:Singerriedel (Spitzer Graben, municipality of Spitz) - One of the legendary south-southeast facing vineyards of the Wachau, known for its deep, weathered primary rock soils (gneiss, granite) with a high mineral content.
Classification: Smaragd (highest quality level in the Wachau for the strongest, most complex and longest-lived wines)
Vintage:2020 - A vintage that was characterised by a warm, dry growing season in the Wachau, paired with cool nights. This resulted in wines with excellent ripeness, concentrated fruit and radiant freshness.
Grape variety: 100% Riesling

Sensory description:

• Colour: Intense, clear golden yellow with greenish reflections - typical of high-quality, young Smaragd.

• Nose: Extremely complex and dense. Opens with a cool, stony minerality, complemented by ripe but never intrusive aromas of white peach, mirabelle plum and Williams pear. This is layered with fine notes of exotic fruit (pineapple), a delicate herbaceousness (sage, lemon balm) and the hint of smoke and flint typical of Singerriedel. The nose is powerful yet elegant.

• Palate: The flavours of the bouquet continue powerfully and concentrated on the palate. The fruit is lush (apricot, citrus jam), but is immediately framed and supported by a breathtaking, salty minerality and a lively, precise acidity structure. The wine shows enormous density and fullness ("weight") on the mid-palate, but never appears heavy or fat. The texture is creamy and silky, almost oily, but always remains focussed and springy thanks to the taut acidity and mineral core. Long, breathtakingly persistent finish, in which the fruit recedes in favour of pure, cold stone, a salty note and a lemony sharpness.

Structure & potential:

• Acidity: High and bright, but perfectly integrated into the fruit and sweetness.

• Alcohol: Probably around 13.5-14.5% vol. but excellently assimilated and not noticeably hot.

• Residual sweetness:Clearly present (typical for Smaragd), but absolutely dry ("closed dry") due to the intense acidity and minerality.

• Ageing potential:A wine for the ages. The 2020 Singerriedel has the structure, concentration and balance to age in the bottle for 15-20 years or longer. It will continue to gain complexity, harmony and fiery mineral depth over the next few years. A purchase for the long-term test or special occasions in the future.

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Conclusion:
The Singerriedel Riesling Smaragd 2020 from Franz Hirtzberger is a monumental wine and a worthy representation of this Grand Cru-worthy vineyard. It combines the powerful opulence and fruit concentration of the warm 2020 vintage with the cool, precise and steely mineral nervousness for which the Singerriedel is famous. It is already a pleasure of great intensity, but only shows a fraction of its full potential. This wine exemplifies the top class of the Wachau and is a must for lovers of complex, long-lasting and profound Rieslings.

Recommended for savouring:

• Temperature: 10-12°C

• Glass: Large, bulbous white wine glass

• Decanting: When young (optional) for 30-60 minutes to open up the complexity.

• Food pairing:Powerful and refined dishes such as fried or steamed fish (zander, sole), lobster, cold poultry terrine, mature cheeses (e.g. Comté) or Asian cuisine with a gentle spiciness. Due to its structure and intensity, it can also be drunk as an aperitif or for contemplative enjoyment without accompaniment.