2006 Nigl Kremstal Osterreich Riesling Privat

Nigl has its roots in the late 1980s, when Joseph Nigl and his son Martin started the winery. The 63-acre estate is in Senftenberg in the southern Austrian region of Kremstal. The vineyards are located on the steep of a river valley, and the dramatic swings between day and night temperatures is beneficial for the ripening of the grapes. Today the estate is run by Martin and his wife Christine, along with his parents Josef and Gisela. In its relatively short existence Nigl has earned a reputation for outstanding white wines, primarily Gruner Veltliner and Riesling. Robert M. Parker Jr. has written that “Martin Nigl crafts some of the most intricate and ageworthy wines in Austria.”

Kremstal is a wine of southern Austria that includes both the north and south banks of the Danube River, which winds through this district and helps give the wines their distinct characteristics. The main towns here are Stein and Krems, and the soil is an unusually soft loess – meaning half soil and half rock. Vintners here say the loess terroir contributes greatly to the flinty, dry but concentrated Grüner Veltliners and Rieslings. Austria has only in the last decade or so started an appellation system, and it is still in flux. However, there is a Kremstal Austria Controllatus (DAC) for Grüner Veltliner and Riesling.

This white variety originated in Germany. It’s known for its strong flowery aromas and high acidity. Please note Rieslings can have dramatic differences as the grape can be used to make dry, semi-sweet, sweet and sparkling wines.