FX Pichler Grüner Veltliner Smaragd M 2010 (2 Fl.)

Parker: Matured in a new-ish 1,200 liter cask coopered in Austria from French oak, and the last-bottled of Pichlers’ present Smaragd collection, the 2010 Gruner Veltliner Smaragd M is based largely on fruit from Loibenberg (60%), Muhlpoint, and Steinertal (with a bit of Kellerberg and Kollmutz). “While this year there is no botrytis fruit in the ‘M’,” notes Lucas Pichler, “there were certainly some lightly shriveled berries. We soaked the skins for two days, and in cask did batonnage for two months to enhance the sense of creaminess.” Green bean, apple, and white peach are dusted with brown spices and Szechuan pepper, informing a rich, downright powerful palate performance and finishing with smoky pungency slightly accentuated by a hint of alcoholic heat. The suggestions of lanolin and resin from cask are well-integrated into this wine’s almost sweetly-rich, creamily-textured fruit matrix and its strong native pungency. But as is often my impression, the fascinating interplay of fruit and mineral that characterizes the very best F. X. Pichler wines is missing in their “M.” 91/100