FX Pichler - KILLER Austrian Whites at 20% off till the end of August!!
Wine and cheese are ageless companions, like aspirin and aches, or June and moon, or good people and noble ventures.
M.F.K. FISHER, introduction, Vin et Fromage
Four thousand years of winemaking history counted for little after the "antifreeze scandal" of 1985, when it was revealed that some wine brokers had been adulterating their wines with diethylene glycol. The scandal destroyed the market for Austrian bulk wine and compelled Austria to reposition itself as a producer of quality wines. This scandal also affected the German wines that were consumed within Germany as most of the locals now wanted "Trocken" or dry wines to ensure that they were not being served tainted wines.
We do not send out enough offerings out on white wines in general, but the great whites of Austria deserve some attention. We have a small selection of Austrian whites in the store and one producer who we buy every vintage without tasting is F.X. Pichler.
The wines speak volumes about the potential of quality in Austria as they are some of the best whites you will find of their type and style. These wines focus on time and place where hard work in the vineyards trumps anything that can happen in the winery. Check out the best that Austria has to offer and for a limited time we are offering all the FX Pichler wines in the store on SALE at 20% OFF this week.
2023 FX Pickler Wines on SALE 20% OFF
2023 F.X. Pichler Durnsteiner Gruner Veltliner Smaragd, Wachau, Austria Magnum
Price: $129.00 Your Price: $103.20
2023 F.X. Pichler Durnsteiner Gruner Veltliner Smaragd, Wachau, Austria
Price: $55.00 Your Price: $44.00
(90 Points) The 2023 Grüner Veltliner Dürnsteiner is made from the younger vines in the single sites Mühlpoint, Klosteratz, Loibenberg, Kellerberg and Steinertal. A riper aspect immediately promises pear, pepper and white miso. The palate is rounded, smooth, and vivid with white miso and gentle pear peel. It is smooth, with a concentrated mid-palate and a savory finish. (Bone-dry) Vinous, Review Date: 07/2024
2023 F.X. Pichler Loibner Gruner Veltliner, Wachau, Austria
Price: $45.00 Your Price: $36.00
The name LOIBEN (for the area of the cadastral communities Oberloiben and Unterloiben) is the designation of origin of this Wachau DAC village wine. The vineyards are situated on the plains of the Loibner basin, with light and warm soils made of alluvial Danube sand and gravel. Delicate Grüner Veltliner with an elegant structure; bright with soft fruit characters. – Lucas & Johanna Pichler
2023 FX Pichler Gruner Veltliner Ried Kellerberg Smaragd WACHAU, AUSTRIA
Price: $162.00 Your Price: $129.60
(95-97 Points) The 2023 Grüner Veltliner Kellerberg is in the warmer and lower reaches of the Kellerberg, as the higher parcels are reserved for Riesling. This shines with ripe, green pear juiciness and an edge of ivy and yeasty salt. The palate majors on savory concentration. Pepper, creaminess, crushed chervil and sage add their fragrant chlorophyll to the fluidity and smoothness of the mid-palate, while the finish makes the mouth water much more than the mid-palate suggests. (Bone-dry)(AK) Vinous, Review Date: 06/2024
2023 FX Pichler Loibner Ried Steinertal Grüner Veltliner Smaragd Wachau
Price: $112.50 Your Price: $90.00
This unique site is situated at the most eastern end of the Wachau, between the Loibenberg and the Pfaffenberg. Its form depicts a rift, which broadens into an amphitheatre as it reaches down towards the vineyard landscape in Unterloiben. The site is clearly characterized by its proximity to the nearby forest, from which nocturnal northerly breezes cool the vineyard as they pass through on their current towards the Danube. This makes Steinertal the cool, slow ripening single vineyard site within the Loibner vineyards, which is unique in its ideal harvest picking time and mineral character.
The 2023 vintage was characterized by a late spring, so the vines did not burst their buds until later in April, avoiding spring frosts. However, despite the delays to vegetation, the summer brought higher temperatures leading to a good flowering season. July and August recorded extreme temperatures, but rain towards the end of the summer had a positive impact on the vine’s health, while advancing the grape’s ripeness. Optimum harvest conditions contributed to a very good vintage.
The grapes were hand harvested over multiple dates at the start of October. Upon arrival at the winery, the grapes were destemmed and sorted by hand before undergoing 12 to 16 hours of skin contact. Fermentation took place in stainless steel tanks, the wine then spent nine months on fine lees before bottling.
This Grüner Veltliner is layered and complex with notes of sage, lime and white apple on the nose. The palate is sleek and elegant, with impressive depth of flavor. Crisp acidity and salty minerality add great length to this wine’s lively finish.
2023 F.X. Pichler Loibner Ried Burgstall Riesling Wachau, Austria
Price: $60.00 Your Price: $48.00
(96 Points) The deep yet delicately peachy fruit of this ravishingly beautiful Wachau dry riesling is very hard to resist. Also notes of pink grapefruit and Amalfi lemons. Excellent concentration, but this is also fine and cool. Very long, limey finish that’s so precise and subtle. From organically grown grapes. Vegan. Drink or hold.
2023 FX Pichler Riesling Ried Loibenberg Smaragd
Price: $105.00 Your Price: $84.00
(99 Points) Extremely deep and complex with a wonderful tension between the ripe Mandarin oranges, tobacco leaves and spicy aromas, plus giant crushed-rock minerality. Despite the cornucopia of yellow fruit, this is only 12.5% alcohol, giving the finish a wind-blown quality that defies your expectations of a very warm vineyard site. From organically grown grapes. Vegan. Drink or hold. Stuart Pigott, JamesSuckling.com, September 2024
Stuart Pigott, JamesSuckling.com, September 2024
2022 Vintage FX Pichler Wines on SALE 20% OFF
2022 FX Pichler Riesling Ried Kellerberg Smaragd WACHAU, AUSTRIA
Price: $135.00 Your Price: $108.00
(99 points) This dry riesling has gigantic concentration, but also gigantic elegance and finesse. Still a little shy on the nose, but this has been made to age for decades. Delicate notes of white peach, pink grapefruit and mountain herbs in the nose, then on the palate also hints of licorice and white chocolate. However, the most extraordinary thing about the wine is the mind-blowing stony intensity at the extremely focused and salty finish. Doesn’t want to stop. Enormous aging potential. From organically grown grapes. Vegan. Drink or hold. Stuart Pigott, James Suckling (Oct 2023)
2022 F.X. Pichler Ried Loibenberg Riesling Smaragd, Wachau, Austria
Price: $95.00 Your Price: $76.00
(96 points) The 2022 Riesling Loibenberg has an intriguing mix of yellow pear overlaid by fragrant, fresh and bright green and orange citrus as well as yellow peach flesh. The palate is smooth, with supple yeast and ripe juiciness on its medium body, yet the citrus flavors perfume and guide this forward. The finish, however, belongs to zesty, tingling bright and ripe citrus. This is a concentrated and linear wine. (Bone-dry)(AK) (2/2024) Vinous
2022 FX Pichler Gruner Veltliner Ried Kellerberg Smaragd WACHAU, AUSTRIA Magnum
Price: $300.00 Your Price: $240.00
(96 Points) The 2022 Grüner Veltliner Kellerberg comes from the warmer, lower reaches of the Kellerberg, as the higher zones are reserved for Riesling. Slight yeast and ripe pear on the nose signal smoothness. On the palate, the pear dissipates to leave a sleek flow of white miso paste edged with white and green pepper. After that, citrus takes over to elongate these flavors on a very classy, smooth and concentrated body, once again tapering very elegantly to the finish. (Bone-dry) 11/23 Vinous Media
2021 Vintage FX Pichler Wines on SALE 20% OFF
2021 F.X. PICHLER DURNSTEINER GRUNER VELTLINER SMARAGD, WACHAU, AUSTRIA
Price: $45.00 Your Price: $36.00 Quantity in Stock: 29
(94 points) “Here’s a wonderful wine for those who generally find gruner veltliner too broad and soft. Still very youthful on the nose, with Amalfi-lemon and mirabelle aromas. Although it has some of the white-pepper character of the grape, this is very delicate. Impressive concentration and a lightness of touch is also an unusual combination for the grape. Long, focused finish. Mostly from younger vineyards in the top sites of Dürnstein. From organically grown grapes. Drink or hold.” (9/2022). James Suckling
2020 Vintage FX Pichler Wines on SALE 20% OFF
2020 F.X. PICHLER LOIBNER STEINERTAL RIESLING SMARAGD, WACHAU, AUSTRIA
Price: $65.00 Special Sale! $52.00 Quantity in Stock:13
(93-94 points) “The 2020 Ried Steinertal Riesling opens coolish and fresh, with lime aromas on the precise and finely flinty nose that also reveals some fresh pineapple stem and white/green vineyard peach aromas with a touch of paprika. Crystalline, elegant and juicy-piquant, with concentrated fruit, the 2020 Steinertal Riesling is carried by demanding acidity to long, dense, aromatic finish with stimulating tannin grip. The wine is compact and close-meshed but also juicy. Tasted as a sample in June 2021. To be bottled in July. 2020 is the first vintage Lucas Pichler doesn't use the predicates of the Vinea anymore since he left the group earlier this year. (SR) “ (12/2021) Wine Advocate
2020 F.X. PICHLER LOIBNER LOIBENBERG RIESLING SMARAGD, WACHAU, AUSTRIA
Price: $65.00 Special Sale! $52.00 Quantity in Stock:2
(93-95 points) “The 2020 Ried Loibenberg Riesling opens very spicy, fresh and almost hard, with intense aromas of white peaches and apricots. Dense, intense and powerful on the palate, this is a massive, close-meshed and tannin-rich Riesling with concentrated juice yet a still-bitter, dry grippy finish. This 2020 needs some years to extract its talents, which are there, but at this early stage it is pretty difficult to give an exact forecast. Tasted as a sample in June 2021, to be bottled in July. 2020 is the first vintage Lucas Pichler doesn't use the predicates of the Vinea anymore since he left the group earlier this year. (SR)” (12/2021) Wine Advocate
2020 F.X. PICHLER RIED KELLERBERG RIESLING SMARAGD, WACHAU, AUSTRIA MAGNUM
List Price: $315.00 Your Price: $252.00 Quantity in Stock: 2
(95-96 points) “Lucas Pichler’s 2020 Ried Kellerberg Riesling opens clear, coolish and spicy on the stony and flinty nose that reveals fresh notes of lemon juice, shredded lime zests, woodruff ad stone fruits. Juicy, elegant and salty on the palate, this is a balanced and complete Kellerberg whose force is lifted by crystalline acidity and structured by fine tannins. There are some very noble raisin notes on the finish. Very promising! 12.5% alcohol. Tasted as a sample in June 2021, to be bottled in July. 2020 is the first vintage Lucas Pichler doesn't use the predicates of the Vinea anymore since he left the group earlier this year. (SR)” (12/2021) Wine Advocate
2020 F.X. PICHLER LOIBNER RIED BURGSTALL RIESLING FEDERSPIEL, WACHAU, AUSTRIA
Price: $40.00 Special Sale! $32.00 Quantity in Stock:10
White wine. Wachau, Austria. Sustainable. 100% Reisling. A fresh, clear, aromatic bouquet with aromas of peak-season peach and apricot. The palate is pleasantly reductive with a saline character, yet remains remarkably fresh and precise, with bright fruit and outstanding acidity.
2020 FX PICHLER RIED LOIBENBERG GRUNER VELTLINER SMARAGD WACHAU
Price: $84.00 Your Price: $67.20 Quantity in Stock: 30
(93-94 points) “The 2020 Ried Loibenberg Grüner Veltliner is clear and reductive on the nose and reveals pleasant phenolic notes along with clear and fresh fruit as well as stony, tobacco, floral and spicy notes. Juicy, elegant and finessed on the palate, this is a warm and powerful Loibenberg that luckily is structured by crystalline acidity. However, this is a 2020 for Austrians who tend to prefer the rich and round wines to the edgy and mineral ones. Tasted as a sample in June 2021. To be bottled in July. 2020 is the first vintage Lucas Pichler doesn't use the predicates of the Vinea anymore since he left the group earlier this year. (WK)” (12/2021) Wine Advocate
2019 Vintage FX Pichler Wines on SALE!! 20% OFF
2019 FX PICHLER RIED STEINERTAL RIESLING SMARAGD WACHAU, AUSTRIA
Price: $75.00 Your Price: $60.00 Quantity in Stock: 11
(94 points) “The 2019 Ried Steinertal Riesling Smaragd is from the terraced part of the cru and combines coolish but ripe and concentrated white peach stone fruit aromas with flinty-crystalline terroir aromas. Full-bodied and intense but also refreshing, with piquant and salty acidity and persistent crisp stone fruit aromas, this is a densely textured., very intense but always stimulating Steinertal Riesling that reflects the coolish terroir of this vineyard between Pfaffenberg and Loibenberg. 13% alcohol. Tasted at the domain in June 2021. (SR)” (12/2021). Wine Advocate.
2019 FX PICHLER RIESLING RIED KELLERBERG SMARAGD WACHAU, AUSTRIA
Price: $105.00 Your Price: $84.00 Quantity in Stock: 2
(97 points) “The 2019 Ried Kellerberg Riesling Smaragd shows a beautifully ripe and aromatic Muscat aroma in the beginning but also the deep and flinty complexity of the cooler, southeast-facing part of Pichler’s terraced Kellerberg that is close to the forest. Round, lush and intense, again with super aromatic fruit aromas (peaches, passion fruit), amazing finesse and salty crystallinity, this is one of the most fascinating Kellerberg Rieslings I have had. Absolutely adorable in its freshness, elegance and perfect fruit ripeness. A Must Buy for Wachau fans. 13.5% alcohol. Tasted at the domain in June 2021. (SR)” (12/2021). Wine Advocate.
2018 Vintage FX Pichler Wines on SALE 20% OFF!!
2018 FX PICHLER RIESLING DURNSTEINER SMARAGD, Wachau, Austria
Price: $48.00 Your Price: $38.40 Quantity in Stock: 5
2018 PICHLER GRUNER VELTLINER DURNSTEINER SMARAGD
Price: $42.00 Your Price: $33.60 Quantity in Stock: 1
2018 FX PICHLER RIESLING RIED LOIBENBERG SMARAGD
Price: $67.50 Your Price: $54.00 Quantity in Stock: 8
(96 Points) Peach is edged with a note of tangerine on the subtle nose. The citrus lift continues on the generous palate where notions of candied orange peel come in. Zestiness tingles aromatically and shimmers with notions of Mandarin orange and tarter tangerine. All these flavors seem to emanate from an absolutely streamlined vein of concentrated, ripe citrus freshness. This is what lends drive and backbone, energy and vividness. Drink 2025–2045. Anne Krebiehl MW – Wine Enthusiast
2018 FX PICHLER GRUNER VELTLINER RIED LOIBENBERG SMARAGD
Price: $66.00 Your Price: $52.80 Quantity in Stock: 5
(93 points) Difficult to pick in time, the 2018 Ried Loibenberg Grüner Veltliner Smaragd offers a clear, fresh and flinty, elegant and balanced nose with riper fruit and delicately spicy aromas. Round, lush and intense on the palate, this full-bodied but elegant wine reveals a long and powerful finish that doesn't lose its freshness and elegance. The wine has good structure and phenolic grip but no phenolic or drying bitters. It combines elegance and freshness with power and extraordinarily ripe but still precise fruit. Pichler holds nine parcels in this large vineyard, of which the most are in the central part and in lower areas. Tasted at the domain in September 2019. (3/2020) -Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
2017 Vintage FX Pichler Wines on SALE 20% OFF
2017 FX PICHLER RIESLING RIED BURGSTALL FEDERSPIEL AUSTRIA
Price: $45.00 Your Price: $36.00 Quantity in Stock: 14
(90 Points) White wine. Wachau, Austria. Sustainable. 100% Riesling. "Aromatic and expressive, featuring tangerine and passion fruit notes, backed by vibrant acidity and savory mineral details. Shows good concentration and focus, with solid length. Drink now through 2026." — , Aleks Zecevic, Wine Spectator (Oct. 2019)
A bit about F.X. Pichler
The F.X. Pichler family wine estate is now in its seventh generation. Lucas Franz Pichler (*1973) and his wife Johanna Elisabeth (*1982) currently manage the winery, with Lucas Franz in the role of managing director, wine grower and oenologist, and Johanna Elisabeth being in charge of sales, marketing and export.
Franz Xaver (*1941) and Rudolfine (*1951) Pichler are still actively involved in the family business and can be found working in the vineyards, which they cultivate with dedication and experience.
The family can look back on a long tradition of winemaking. During the middle of the 19th century, the winegrower Franz Pichler II moved his family from the wine-growing village of Rohrendorf near Krems to the Wachau Valley. His grandson Franz Pichler VI later acquired a property in Oberloiben, in commune of Dürnstein, in the year 1898. It was in this very wine cellar in Oberloiben No. 27, that global wine success was written right up until the 2008 vintage.
In the year 1906, Franz Xaver’s (F.X.) father was born into the winemaking family. As a vintner, he studied the quality of vineyards and diligently recorded his observations of the growth and quality of individual grapevines into his notebook. Thus, his selection massale (Massal Selection – the French term for the practice of replanting new vineyards with cuttings), enabled him to identify the most outstanding Grüner Veltliner vines from each vineyard and then propagated new vines from that budwood. He began in 1928 and continued until 1952.
Towards the end of the 1930s, he was also a founding member of the winegrowers’ cooperative (Winzergenossenschaft) in Loiben, which was established to ensure the economic survival of the numerous small winegrowers in the town.
His son Franz Xaver (F.X.) followed into his father’s footsteps as a quality-conscious winemaker from an early age. He graduated from the Krems viticulture college and attended internships and practicals in Germany and Alsace. As the head of the family winery, he began purchasing prime and prized vineyard sites early on, as he was always convinced of the huge potential of his homeland.
Now in the seventh generation, Lucas Franz carries on with the family tradition as a winemaker and attended the Krems viticulture school between 1988 and 1992. He is grateful to his father, Franz Xaver, for passing down his colossal knowledge and decades of experience and dedication to exceptional wine quality.
Lucas Franz completed an internship at the Müller-Cartoir winery in the Pfalz wine region in autumn/winter 1994. Hans-Günter Schwarz, wine director at the time, became his mentor. This shaped him and brought out his passion for wine. Two years later, Lucas completed a second internship there.
In 1997, Lucas Franz gathered further professional experience from Manfred Tement (Tement family winery) in the Südsteiermark.
Lucas Franz now looks back on over two decades of winemaking at the family winery since the 1999 vintage. At that time, the F.X. Picher estate comprised of around 14 hectares (35 acres) under vine, and now Lucas Franz is responsible for 20 hectares (49 acres) of exceptionally great single-vineyard sites. These are situated within the immediate vicinity of the winery in Loiben and Dürnstein, with a 50/50 share between Grüner Veltliner and Riesling respectively. Small parcels of Gelber Muskateller (yellow muscat) are found on the Loibner Ried Loibenberg and there are also limited bottles of Sauvignon Blanc. Around 35 percent of the vines grow on steeply inclined, bedrock terraces with dry-stone walls, that can only be worked by hand labour. The latter is a Wachau cultural heritage, and its practice goes back many centuries.
Johanna Elisabeth Pichler was born into a family-winery in Rheinhessen, Germany and she learnt the winemaking profession from an early age. Johanna attended the viticulture school in Oppenheim in Rheinhessen between 1999–2002 and then completed her training as a viticulture economist at the Technical College in Bad Kreuznach an der Nahe. She met and fell in love with Lucas Franz Pichler in 2003. Shortly afterwards, Johanna uprooted herself from Rheinhessen to live in the Wachau, where she has been taking care of sales, marketing and export ever since. Johanna Elisabeth & Lucas Franz not only share their profession, they also share a great passion for wine.
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