2021 Prager Riesling Federspiel Steinriegl Wachau Austria

Franz Prager, the co-founder of the Vinea Wachau, had already earned a reputation for his wines when Toni Bodenstein married into the family. Bodenstein’s passion for biodiversity and old terraces, coupled with brilliant winemaking, places Prager in the highest echelon of Austrian producers. 

Toni is a biologist, geologist, and historian. He’s completely passionate about Austrian terroir, and he has dedicated his life to studying the region’s terroir. His expertise and knowledge have managed to elevate Weingut Prager to a world-class and cult-status winery since 1990. Today, this first-class winery is led by Toni’s son, Robert, who has followed the same steps as his father.

The exceptionally steep, southwest-facing site has a cool mesoclimate due to its proximity to the forest, and its soil is a unique “kalksilikatmarmor,” a limestone silicate marble rarely found elsewhere in the Wachau. 

With a rich history and favorable climate, the Wachau is known as one of the greatest terroirs in Austria. Although the region is less than 15 miles long, the unique landscape and vineyards make it renowned. Located a short hour’s drive northwest of Vienna the Wachau is famous for the unique steep stone terraced vineyards rising up on the Northside or “left bank” of the Danube River, as it flows West to East.

Federspiel is a designation of ripeness for dry wines, a term used exclusively by members of the Vinea Wachau. Federspiel wines must be unchaptalized and fall between 11.5 and 12.5% ABV. The grapes are hand-harvested, typically in October, and are sent directly to press where they spontaneously ferment in stainless steel tanks.

The vintage 2021 was an incredible year for this region. The Austrian Wine Association called it a dream vintage and stated that this year delivered “Crystal-clear wines from perfect grapes. A year that we will be hearing about for many years to come. A glorious autumn brought balanced, elegant white wines with a profound fruitiness and zesty structure, and this was the case for all of Austria’s wine-growing regions."

Tasting Notes: 100% Riesling. Steinriegl’s uniquely cool microclimate results in wines of high aroma and focused acidity and its limestone soil provide a compact structure and a flavor that is distinctive among Wachau Rieslings.