Nikolaihof Federspiel Wachau Riesling

Score

92

"Aromas of apricots and ripe lemons with honeysuckle and lemon rind. Medium-to full-bodied, round and lightly creamy-textured palate with some pleasant fruit on the finish. Steely in the end. From biodynamically grown grapes. Drink now. Screw cap."

Score

92

"From loessy, loamy and gravelly soils and aged for six months in large oak casks, the 2017 Vom Stein Riesling Federspiel is flinty and fresh on the precise and bright nose with its crushed stone and lemony notes. Mouthfilling, lush, round and piquant on the palate, this is a highly delicate and filigreed 2017 with a long and stimulating, mineral-piquant and salty finish. Very young but already a pleasure. Just delicious! Tasted at the domain in Mautern, September 2018. Drink 2018-2040."

Score

91

Score

94

"What a beautiful, delicate peachy nose! On the palate there's a grace and elegance that's rare in this category. A long, very mineral and clean finish. Drink or hold – this would go at least another decade in the bottle. Screw cap."

Score

94

"At 12.2% alcohol, this weighs in marginally (and surprisingly) higher than did its 2015 counterpart. But you’d never guess that from the buoyancy it exhibits. Its sunny disposition, infectious juiciness and invigorating pungency – all reflecting an aromatically penetrating abundance of sage-laced lemon, orange and apricot that puts me a bit in mind of Muscat – make for a memorably delightful performance. Alkaline, shimmeringly stony and mouthwateringly saline notes as well as a tang of white currant add to the irresistible appeal of a brightly and pungently sustained finish. The feel here is subtly silky, but this vibrant bundle of energy and paradigm of clarity appears to be the exception among Nikolaihof 2016s for having resisted malolactic transformation. Count this among the most memorable in the long line of memorable Nikolaihof Riesling Federspiele and pray that even allowing for a second bottling slated for late 2017 or early 2018, and despite an increasingly crowded cellar, enough will remain in cask to support an eventual “Steinriesler” bottling."

Score

91

"Weighing in at just 11.5 percent alcohol, this is brimming with ripe apple and white peach, while scents and flavors of almond, moss, and wet stone add subtle complexity. A smoky, resinous, reductive topnote puts me in mind of hops, while an alluring gentian perfume haunts this entire performance. A palate presence that is surprisingly lush, silken and expansive for a Riesling Federspiel in no way precludes levity, clarity or primary juiciness. Subtle hints of wet stone and moss add intrigue to the lusciously lingering finish, but it will be interesting to discover whether further and more decisive mineral traits emerge with time in bottle."

Score

92

"Showing a little volatility with dried lemons and peaches, as well as nuttiness. It’s full-bodied and layered with lots of dried apple, pear and lemon curd with some beeswax. Yogurt, too. Pretty riesling with mature aromas and flavors. From biodynamically grown grapes. Drink now."