Rudi Pichler Roter Veltliner, Wachau, Austria

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Passion fruit, rhubarb, brown spices, and bitter-edged herbs characterize Pichler’s 2010 Roter Veltliner, a wine of formidable density even by varietal and vintage standards, yet conveying welcome sheer juiciness in a long, pungent, piquant, subtly ash-streaked finish. At 13.5% alcohol, interestingly, the present rendition is lighter than usual for this wine or indeed this variety, a statistic even more remarkable in light of Pichler’s claim that half the crop was botrytis-affected, which isn’t unusual for Roter Veltliner but stands in stark contrast to the rest of the fruit he harvested in 2010. Alas, there are but 280 bottles! Unsurprisingly, it’s hard to assemble experience in the aging of this particular, rare Roter Veltliner bottling, but by analogy with other wines of its cepage and authorship, I suspect that this will remain engaging for at least a dozen years and quite possibly considerably longer. “Early on, we were concerned about the high acidity,” admits Rudi Pichler “but when we did the first analyses, still in September, they already showed a one-to-one ratio of tartaric to malic acid. And the rain was not a bad thing really, as it insured that the vines deposited enormous extract in the grapes. In the end, a small adjustment to the Riesling Federspiel as wine was the only de-acidification I did.” Pichler is a stickler for getting his wines to finish dry, and residual sugar was the last thing he said he could imagine benefiting his 2010s. “For us, leaving behind sugar just doesn’t work. The sugar and acidity stand in opposition to one another, and I just don’t like that sort of wine, it’s not harmonious” he insists. Anywhere from 36 hours to three days of pre-fermentative skin contact – about which Pichler is seldom shy – probably enhanced the sense of extract and wealth of flavors on display in this collection; and given what was apparently the unusually high ratio of tartaric to malic acidity in Pichler’s fruit he could afford losing as precipitant some extra measure of the former, which typically happens with extended maceration. “But you have to know which parts of your vineyards can support this treatment,” he adds. Long stays on the lees – also part of the usual regimen – were surely beneficial. It would be very hard to argue with the success one tastes here from 2010, a vintage in which Pichler harvested all the way up to November 23, and one that in all modesty he clearly considers (as do I) a personal triumph.Importer: Winebow, Montvale, NJ; tel. (201) 445-0620

I last tasted Pichler’s 2007 Roter Veltliner from tank – and given the ridiculously tiny amount of it produced, there are few opportunities to sample it after it leaves the winery. This year, it is a virtually dry Beerenauslese, which Pichler does not know how he will label. Sugared, toasted almond and caramel, rhubarb and peach mingle both on the nose and on a voluminous, oily-rich, yet neither overtly alcoholic nor obviously sweet palate. Pungent nuttiness, tart rhubarb, and peach preserves inform a powerful finish of what is bound to remain an amazing wine. I could also imagine it being a ten year keeper.Pichler’s 2007s differ very little in gross chemistry from his 2006s – including the high alcohol of several Gruner Veltliner – yet they have dramatically different personalities. Pichler compares them with his 1997s, and perhaps time in bottle will more clearly bear out that high praise. Rudi Pichler is a great believer in watchfully letting nature take its course and although some of his 2007s came in with pH levels many growers would consider alarmingly high he gave no thought to adjusting them, and the finished wines bear him out, displaying the vivacity and freshness typical of 2007.Importer: Vin Divino, Chicago, IL; tel. (773) 334-6700

There are 400 bottles of Pichler’s 2006 Roter Veltliner which constitutes a normal crop after the penury of 2005. As rich and voluminous as this wine is, it invites you to plunge rather than sip. What you find is an unusual juxtaposition of green rhubarb preserves, toasted almonds and coffee. Full but firm in finish and with a trace of heat that won’t be noticeable if you are putting it through its paces at the table, this should be more interesting after a couple of years in bottle and worth keeping for at least 7-9 years.Rudi Pichler picked and vinified with his usual sensitivity, thereby achieving a surprisingly broad stylistic range, even though the total length of harvest was unusually short. Flowering here just escaped the period of intense June heat that led to a reduced crop at most Wachau addresses.Importer: Vin Divino, Chicago, IL; tel. (773) 334-6700

It’s almost a shame to bear witness to Pichler’s 2005 Roter Veltliner because this year he ended up picking berries rather than bunches, and there were fewer than 250 bottles (which is why it was not declared as Smaragd.). Still the wine is too distinctive to ignore and Pichler’s fidelity to his one patch of old vines – “It’s very important to me to save this old grape variety in the Wachau,” he explains, “and who knows which other whites will still grow here in twenty-five years if the temperature keeps going up at the present rate”– is as admirable as are his results. A musky, meaty, smoky, pungently floral, Traminer-like aroma leads to a strikingly concentrated mouthful of flowers and meat. For all of this imposing wine’s pungent concentration and high alcohol, it registers neither bitterness nor heat in the finish.Also recommended: 2005 Gruner Veltliner Federspiel ($23.00; 85)Importer: Vin Divino, Chicago, IL; tel. (773) 334-6700

To demonstrate that Roter Veltliners require cellaring for their noses to become expressive, Rudi Pichler opened a 1993 Roter Veltliner that burst from the glass with honeyed spice scents. This well-made, light to medium-bodied wine is flavored with notes of spicy undergrowth. While its nose is spectacular, it has lost the exuberance of youth on the palate. Drink up.