2016 Gruner Veltliner Ried Loibenberg Smaragd

Ripe peach and high-toned almond are joined on the nose by intimations of the peach kernel piquancy that subsequently lends welcome counterpoint on a glossy, creamy palate. The finish delivers a remarkable, mouthwatering sweet-saline savor of raw scallop, allied to bittersweet nuts and caramelized parsnip. The herbal and vegetable aspects of Grüner Veltliner are somewhat sublimated here, but there is a bittersweet, almost honeyed suggestion of snap pea, while an aura of greenhouse-like flowers and greenery adds a haunting dimension. Site-typical touches of crushed stone and white pepper serve for further stimulating counterpoint on a lusciously lingering finish. It’s remarkable that Loibenberg, of all sites, would generate a Smaragd that displays such buoyancy. Like the corresponding Schütt, this really gets going once it has had some time in the air.