2016 Riesling Hochrain Smaragd
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Tasting notes
Fragrant, juicy, seed- and pit-tinged apple, pear and white peach generate subtly stimulating counterpoint in the form of faint skin chewiness. Hints of almond and hazelnut reinforce the sense of invigoration conveyed on a palate of underlying creaminess. The finish is vibrantly sustained, infectiously juicy, and buoyant despite a sense of creaminess and a palpable impression of high extract. (For a bit more about the performance of this site, consult my review of its vintage 2015 instantiation.)
Critic scores
Average Score
Jancis Robinson MW
Stephan Reinhardt, Wine Advocate
More reviews and scores
Very broad and rich but all contained in a fine, mineral skein. It's quite rich but very long and layered. It tastes a little bit sweeter than it is — presumably because the fruit is so ripe. (JR)
Harvested between October 31 and November 15, Hirtzberger's 2016 Ried Hochrain Riesling Smaragd offers a clear, bright, fresh, well concentrated and spicy/stony nose with partly stewed white vineyard peach aromas. On the palate, this is a mouthful of intense and juicy Riesling with lots of grip and salt. This 2016 Hochrain is really rich and dense and will gain finesse and transparency over the years in the bottle.