Pichler-Krutzler
A couple with winemaking in their DNA, Elizabeth Pichler and Erich Krutzler – a scion of his family’s leading Burgenland estate – established their winery around the corner from Franz Xaver (F.X.) Pichler’s legendary Wachau domaine in 2007.
Using a combination of sustainable and organic farming methods, they tend 13ha of Riesling, Grüner Veltliner, and Pinot Blanc on south-facing banks of the Danube, including parcels in the celebrated ‘Pfaffenberg’, ‘Loibenberg’, and ‘Supperin’ vineyards.
Fruit is hand-harvested site-by-site, before being gently pressed and fermented in stainless steel with indigenous yeasts. In 2014 – a vintage which presented the greatest challenge to Austrian growers in three decades – Pichler-Krutzler defied all odds to produce wines that strike a knife-edge balance between richness and tension, albeit in painfully small volumes.
From an enclosed vineyard that slopes down the hill from the old city wall, the 2014 Grüner Veltliner ‘Supperin’ is expansive and silky, its spiced stone fruit streaked with white pepper and herbal freshness. The 2014 Riesling ‘Pfaffenberg’ Alte Reben – sourced from a tiny parcel of 70-year-old vines on the border between Wachau and Kremstal – shows a rich, smoky citrus character underscored by juicy acidity.
Pichler-Krutzler are rewiring perceptions of the ageability of Austrian Grüner Veltliner and Riesling. The wines have become firm favourites among sommeliers thanks to their combination of textural depth and laser-like freshness – something that sets them apart from many of the region's other leading estates.
Grüner Veltliner ‘Supperin’ 2014 (£49) Sold out
Sappy and refreshing, with spiced apricot, white pepper, and piquant herbs.
91 Points, Vinous
Riesling ‘Pfaffenberg’ Alte Reben 2014 (£59) Sold out
Meyer lemon and smoky minerals. Bone dry and exhilaratingly racy.
Just 400 bottles produced.
95 Points, Vinous
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