Alzinger Ried Loibenberg Riesling Smaragd

The Loibenberg is the Wachau's warmest vineyard — south-facing terraces stretching 200 meters up the hillside, cooled each night by cold air funneling down from the north. Alzinger's Riesling Smaragd from this iconic site is the estate's most ambitious wine: spontaneously fermented, rooted in shallow primary rock, and built for decades. White peach, grapefruit, citrus blossom, and a whisper of cumin unfold across a silky, precise palate with a finish that simply refuses to end. 97 points. Cellar it, or be brave and open it now.