I make no secret of the fact that I have found myself estranged from most Wachau Rieslings. Seeking elegance and freshness, I have found my calling in the Rieslings of our german neighbour. But to every rule there is an exception. There are a handful of winemakers in the Wachau, who differ from the mainstream approach. The Nikolaihof is one of those wineries, adhering to their own philosophy that oftentimes starkly contrasts with what their colleagues are doing. Having enjoyed their wines at this year's SUMMA and during a visit back in June, I am finally pulling the cork on what has been one of my favourite bottles of theirs: the 2017 Ried Steiner Hund Riesling!

It's a bit ironic that I just kept on talking about the Wachau, when the vineyard this wine comes from isn't even located in the Wachau region. But it's a stone toss from the borderand has comparable terroir, so it still counts. The Steiner Hund is situated in Stein, a district of Krems on the northern shore of the Danube. The vineyard has a southwesterly exposition and mostly consists of Gneis with some micaschist and amphibolite mixed in between. After harvest, the wine was fermented spontaneously and the aged for 4 1/2 years in large oak barrels. Biodynamic viticulture.

After opening, I decided that the wine would gain from more air contact, though it's already quite tasty from the get-go. After two hours in the decanter, the wine shows tart peaches, lots of white flowers and lemon zest. Savoury nuances soon take over, showing dark honey, dried herbs, crushed stones and ginger. Towards the end, notes of sea breeze and bread rind come through as well. The palate shows itself incredible balance. Very fresh acidity is contrasted with some viscosity and creaminess. Flavours oscillate between tart fruit and stony minerality. The finish then is something else, incredibly complex and it goes on forever, think of aromas like orange blossom, cooked mushrooms, crushed stones and bread rind.Truly breathtaking, among the best Rieslings I've ever had the pleasure of drinking. This might be the wine of the year for me...