Prager Grüner Veltliner Achleiten Stockkultur Smaragd 2020

Drink now or cellar for up to 15 years. Serve chilled.

One of the leading wineries in Austria’s Wachau region, Weingut Prager was founded back in 1302 and enjoys a stellar reputation for single vineyard Riesling and Gruner Veltliner. Running the show these days is Toni Bodenstein who has an encyclopedic knowledge of the local terroir. His winemaking philosophy puts nature first and can be summed up by the evocative motto “Vom Stein zum Wein” or “from rocks to wine”.

This majestic Gruner Veltliner comes from a tiny 0.3 hectare plot that Toni bought in 2005. It’s named after the traditional vine cultivation used in the Wachau up until the 1950s whereby each vine is trained to a single stake. Some of the vines here were planted back in 1938 and produce incredibly concentrated and intensely-flavoured fruit.

Toni’s classic house style includes plenty of aromatics along with power and structure. The grapes are carefully harvested by hand late into the autumn and fermented spontaneously in stainless steel tanks. The young wine then spends 8 months ageing in the tank before it’s deemed ready for release. Vibrant notes of wildflowers, cut grass, and herbs dominate on the nose, while the first sip reveals a bright acidity, mouthwatering freshness, and a pure, clean finish with hints of salty minerality.