F.X. Pichler, `Unendlich` Wachau Riesling

F.X. Pichler is located in Wachau, a region so remarkably beautiful that it has earned a spot on the UNESCO World Heritage List. The Pichler family have farmed in the region for five generations, with Franz Xaver (F.X.) building the winery in 1971, where his son Lucas still makes the wines today. Lucas’ grandfather began the family legacy with just three hectares of vines, which has since grown to 20 hectares of organically farmed vineyards.

Several sources influence the climate in the Wachau, including the moderating Danube River, cold air from the forests in Waldviertel and Dunkelsteiner, and warm air from the Pannonian basin. Born from a need to adapt to climate change, F.X. Pichler have left the ‘Vinea Wachau’ association, with the 2020 vintage being the first to adhere to ‘Districtus Austriae Controllatus’ (DAC) regulations.

Under this new structure, their wines have dropped the ‘Federspiel’ and ‘Smaragd’ classifications based on must weights. Instead, they are labelled according to a three-tier system, either as regional, village or single-site wines. However, the new DAC structure does retain many crucial ‘Vinea Wachau’ quality standards, including obligatory hand harvesting and a ban on chaptalisation. This focus on quality has proven itself in recent vintages, with Lucas describing the 2023 vintage as “certainly one of the greats of recent years” and that is “perfectly reflects its origins”.

‘Ried Klostersatz’ is planted on a flatter area near the F.X. Pichler winery, within the dramatic curve of the Danube River, between Dürnstein and Oberloiben. The vineyard can trace its roots back to the year 860 AD, when it was tended by Bavarian and Salzburg monks. The vineyard's unique soil composition, with fine sandy topsoil and underlying gravel and pebble stones, encourages a slow and gradual ripening of the Riesling and Grüner Veltliner grapes. As a result, the wines from ‘Ried Klostersatz’ have a deep, spicy fruit character, impressive acidity, complex aromatics and a delicate mineral essence, all achieved after a mere four months on the lees in stainless steel tanks.

The ‘Burgstall’ vineyard receives excellent sun exposure all day, yet it is also windy, which results in a slower concentration of flavours. The ‘Burgstall’ Riesling undergoes six months of lees ageing, resulting in a wine with a richer palate, racy acidity and pure hints of lime and peach. The ‘Loibenberg’ vineyard, one of Wachau’s largest single vineyards, is planted on austere primitive rock with a warm and sunny southerly exposure. The Riesling from this vineyard is opulent and intense with ripe peach and apricot notes. Planted at 230-300 metres above sea level and further cooled by the nearby forest, the ‘Steinertal’ vineyard is a slow-ripening, single vineyard making generous wines with bracing acidity and finesse that age very well.

The ‘Kellerberg’ vineyard is arguably the best single vineyard in Wachau, benefiting from southeast exposure and high diurnal temperature differences. Here, the grapes develop exotic aromas such as mango, passion fruit and honey that translate seamlessly into a steely and crisp palate.