Introduction to Domäne Wachau
Domäne Wachau is one of the most renowned estates in Austria with a wide variety of wines that beautifully reflect their origin. With Roman Horvath MW and Heinz Frischengruber at the helm, the focus is on an elegant and straight style that combines depth with drinkability. The small, steeply terraced plots in world-famous vineyards such as the Achleiten are increasingly cultivated organically with intense manual labour by our vintner families - the true heroes of the winery. Sustainable farming practices and the promotion of unique biodiversity form our foundation.
The Achleiten Vineyard
In Achleiten, Domäne Wachau cultivates approximately 3ha of Riesling from a total of 18.6 planted hectares where the average age of the vines is about 40 years. The low yield farming practices result in very mineral wines that are often perceived as smoky and accompanied by nuances of flint. The Achleiten is perhaps the most uncompromising vineyard of the Wachau and its wines are distinguished by a particular elegant, taut, vibrant structure that certainly contributes to their tremendous potential for ageing. The expression of the terroir persistently dominates the grape variety.
Description of the Achleiten Vineyard
The Achleiten vineyard is legendary and justifiably so, as the winegrowers here unanimously agree. Located on the eastern boundary of the village of Weissenkirchen, the most highly elevated parcels of Achleiten sit just below the forest tree line at 360 metres. The vineyard drops steeply towards the south and curves slightly towards the southwest on the western end. The lower terraces sit majestically above the Danube River at around 210 metres. The Achleiten is famous for wines with inimitable mineral character. Crystalline, silicate-rich rock dominates the vineyard with pale, foliated Gfoehler gneiss and mica-schist, prevailing in the upper portion. Gfoehler gneiss is generally porous and crumbles easily. At the bottom of the slope, the mother rock changes significantly. Particularly striking is the dark black schistose amphibolite rock that is often embedded throughout the site. The site was first documented in the 9th century as ‘Echleiten’, a slope with oak trees. The name has slightly evolved to its current standing where ‘Ach-‘ refers to a waterway (Lat. aqua) and ‘-leiten’ remains, referring to the precipitous slope. The steep vineyard is supported by dry-stone walls which date back to the 12th century.
Vintage 2021 and Winemaking Process
Vintage 2021 started with a notably cold spring followed by a cool summer which pushed back the growing season. Then came a picture-perfect Autumn; glorious weather, filled with plentiful sunshine, dry days and cool nights - ideal conditions for the optimally ripened fruit that powers a truly grand vintage. This year will be remembered for many years for its wines of good concentration, compelling elegance and finesse combined with depth, tremendous momentum and tension on the palate. The Riesling grapes for this Smaragd are harvested in several passages and according to strict selection criteria. After a few hours of maceration on the skins and pressing, the wine is fermented (partly spontaneously) and aged in stainless steel tanks on the fine lees which provides precise nuances and additional depth.
