2012 Franz Hirtzberger Riesling Setzberg Smaragd

Piquancy and tartness of lime and rhubarb in Hirtzbergers' 2012 Riesling Smaragd Setzberg puts me in mind of a blend with Gruner Veltliner - though that would of course not enhance a Riesling's acidity, whereas with this wine (whatever its analysis might state) there is a surprising degree of tartness for its vintage. A tingling, active sense of both aromatic and palate impingement encompasses peach fuzz as well as glowing cyanic piquancy of peach kernel grip in a rather austere but thankfully mouthwateringly salt-tinged not to mention energetically sustained finish. To say that this animated Riesling will invigorate you is putting it mildly! A starkly simple but profoundly impressive little tasting room (something that never really existed at this famous estate) in the former pressoir under their medieval stone home, is hardly the most noteworthy new development at this winery. The Hirtzbergers have bought at auction the Florianihof in Wosendorf (whence their mid-17th century ancestors first repaired from Styria) and will not only begin farming and making wines from the affiliated acreage but will revive the restaurant that the former owners long ran. The 2012 collection here is not only awe-inspiring in its sheer quality, it also offers intriguing and encouraging insights into what lies in this estate's future as generations change guard. Importer: Weygandt-Metzler Importing, Unionville, PA; tel. (610) 486-0700