Always crystal clear, stimulating and digestible, herbs, citrus and fresh stone fruit. Playful but substantial texture, inviting acidic kick, drinkable early and yet with potential.\n \n Producer Information\n Weingut Alzinger is a producer of Grüner Veltliner and Riesling in the Wachau region of Austria. It is one of Austria's most renowned producers, known for precise, elegant wines. The Alzinger estate consists of 10 hectares (25 acres) of vines near Loiben in the eastern Wachau. The warming influence of the Pannonian Basin in the east are balanced by cool breezes from the Waldviertel Forest in the west. Loiben therefore has excellent conditions for achieving balance between ripeness and acidity. The vines are tended by hand, as several of the steep, dry stone-terraced vineyard sites are too steep for tractors or machinery. There are multiple soil types including gneiss, schist, loess, sand, marble and volcanic rock, giving Alzinger a wealth of terroir. Notably, the Steinertal site enjoys a strong diurnal shift and a range of soil types, producing wines with a balance of richness, acidity and minerality. The Loibenberg site is one of the warmest in the Wachau, ripening grapes sufficiently to make wines at the Smaragd level of quality. Cooling influences from the nearby ravines and forest keep the grapes from overripening. Other vineyard sites include Frauenweingarten, Liebenberg, and Hochstrasser. Federspiel and Smaragd wines are made from the various sites. In addition, both a Grüner Veltliner and Riesling Reserve are made. These are fuller-bodied in style, with more honeyed richness and a touch of residual sugar. Leo Alzinger took over his family's estate in the late 1960s. At the time, the estate was selling fruit to a winery in Loiben, but Alzinger determined they would be more profitable if they established their own brand and style. The first vintage of Alzinger came in 1983. Winemaking responsibilities have since been passed to Alzinger's son, Leo Alzinger Jr., who gained experience by working harvest in New Zealand and at the Müller-Catoir estate in Germany.
