Vanessa

9.3

This is the 2017 Franz-Josef (FJ) Gritsch Smaragd Riesling. 👌

It comes from the steep, sun-soaked Setzberg vineyard 🌱☀️ of the Wachau, Austria 🇦🇹 with ancient roots dating back to 1243 (one of the oldest recorded sites in the Wachau)!!

🤔 As a ‘Smaragd,’ wine law requires this wine to be at least 12.5% ABV which means it’s at the top of the ripeness scale, set up for deeply concentrated aromas and flavors.

This wine delivers on these expectations and more…

👁️ Despite being approx. 8 years old, it’s a vibrant lemon hue with pronounced 👃 aromas and flavors of papaya, golden delicious apple, quince, ripe apricot and white peach, blossom, gardenia, wet slate, beeswax, honeycomb, crushed stones, honeydew, buckwheat, saline, and blanched almond.

😝 It is indeed dry, with 13.5% ABV; it has a medium body with a textured mouthfeel 👄 and zesty acidity. The finish lingers.

💫 FJ Gritsch is rooted in Wachau traditions yet makes wines with modern precision, marrying heritage with authenticity and forward-thinking practices.

💯 Costing in the $20s, this wine has an impeccable quality to price ratio. It punches above its weight! 🥊

It’s certifiably delicious. 😋

Cheers to Smaragd Riesling of the Wachau — cheers to delish Gritsch wines!🥂 — a month ago

Keith Levenberg

9.4

Terrific bottle of Gruner here. You don't usually expect this much personality and pizzazz without buying a fancy smaragd label - I was actually taken aback. It's deceptively soft at first but all that means is that it's not leaning on ripping acidity to stay fresh. There is still plenty of cut to the texture but the fruit is plush and fleshy, so it actually pulls off a nice balance between something gentle and contemplative and something you can guzzle for its thirst-quenching crystal-clean freshness. The flavor itself is very characteristic no-doubter Gruner, edgy but exotic flavors like green banana with a peppery kick. — 9 years ago

FabianG

8.9

#wineaccess — 3 days ago

Lyle Fass

Founder Fass Selections

9.1

Really liked this. Mineral crunchy and limey. Bit opulent but finishes all awash in acids and minerals. — 8 years ago

markus gould

9.1

mauritioshof gritsch
riesling "vision wachau"
2011 — 9 years ago

Ross Cobb

Owner/Winemaker Cobb Wines, Winemaker Hirsch Vineyards, Claypool Cellars, Banshee Wines

9.1

Great value — 11 years ago

with Katy and Alison

Jakub Kalinowski

9.0

Light & flowery with rosewater, lichi, white grapes and guava. On the palate quite filigrane, Kabinett Style, as is if off-dry, yet quickly shows great acidity & a mineral streak turning fully dry.
This is very fresh, aromatic, perfect as an aperitif and far from banal. I like it a lot! — 5 years ago

François Hugueniot

9.0

Very good! The nose opens up with fresh exotic fruit manguo un particular. On palate the wine has a very good acidity, it’s well balance, with a long finish on exotics fruits — 8 years ago

markus gould

9.4

wow! fantastic riesling from a difficult vintage!

such a tension, drive and drinkability.
HUGE potential - this vintage will last forever!!

kudos to franz josef --- — 10 years ago

Reza S

9.0

Great with soft cheese — 11 years ago