Pichler, F.X. - Riesling Reserve M 2010

FALSTAFF: "Mittleres Grüngelb. Saftige gelbe Tropenfrucht, reife Pfir-siche. Ungemein komplex, die 15 gr Restzucker sind sehr fein integriert, finessenreiche Säurestruktur, gelbe Fruchtanklänge, bleibt sehr lange haften, feine zitronige Nuancen, mineralische Anklänge, großes Zukunftspotenzial, etwas für viele Jahrzehnte."

THE WINE ADVOCATE: "An F. X. 2010 Riesling Reserve M reflects harvest in Loibenberg and Kellerberg of fruit partly desiccated and lightly botrytized (“though without spores,” Lucas Pichler emphasizes), and like one previous wine so-labeled (from 2001) this left behind residual sugar slightly in excess of that permissible for Smaragd. “It just gave up fermenting in January,” explains Pichler, “and I was not about to force it to go dry.” Bottled only a few days before I tasted it in mid-June, this richly-textured, ripely peachy, liqueur-like though nearly-dry Riesling contrasts markedly with its Unendlich counterpart, offering a rather opaque and static performance. Brown spices and honey hinting at noble rot along with fusil and alkaline mineral notes, add interest to a long, soothing finish. The Pichlers think this will be especially long-lived. I would certainly anticipate a strong showing over the next 10-12 years, and there may be more once the wine has recovered from bottling."