2022 Brundlmayer, Willi - Riesling Zobinger Heiligenstein (750ml)

Willi Bründlmayer's estate in Langenlois has long stood among the most decorated names in Austrian wine, a reputation cemented when Wine & Spirits Magazine named him the country's finest winemaker of the preceding quarter century back in 2009. Falstaff editor Peter Moser has praised the range for its consistent excellence across styles, from the estate's lighter Grüner Veltliners to its reds and sparkling wines. Since 2016, Andreas Wickhoff, a Master of Wine, has worked alongside Willi as general manager, helping guide the estate's roughly ninety hectares of vineyards while staying true to its organic farming practices.

The 2022 bottling draws from core parcels of the Zöbinger Heiligenstein, where cool air moving down from the Waldviertel forest meets warmer currents rising from the Pannonian plain. This vintage marked the first time fruit from the site's Lyra trained and traditionally trained Guyot vines was harvested and fermented together. The must fermented in stainless steel before resting on its lees in large old oak casks for several months ahead of bottling.

The nose carries a subtle wisp of cypress and smoke alongside green citrus peel, while the palate turns riper, with juicy white peach and tingling citrus held in check by the site's stony minerality. Serve it with smoked salmon, roast duck, or spicy Vietnamese noodles.