Nikolaihof Riesling Burggarten Jungfernlese 6/750 2002

First offering: it means the “virgin” vintage. Haunting 2002 aromas sing sweetly from the glass—what fragrance this vintage has developed! The wine is dry—(Christine calls at this very moment from Brazil to say hi, and my note resumes thereafter . . .) although
unbelievably shimmery and brilliant; white tea, plum blossom, a ghostly mineral—the 2002 Champagnes are like this. Otherworldly juiciness and a flowery smokiness; just a great ‘02, wonderful now and from now on. -Terry Theise Estate Selections

Expert Review

93 POINTS Robert Parker
From the -virginal picking- in a small vineyard in Mautern, almost adjacent to the winery itself (and where Charlemagne is said to have pitched camp before defeating the Avars) the 2002 Riesling Burggarten Jungfernlese - as often happens with first crops - came in very ripe, fermented slow, and left behind residual sugar. This explains its absence of a -Smaragd- designation, and also the decision to release it only after several years in bottle. Lily-like sweet floral perfume, lime zest, and a hint of mothball on the nose set one up for a palate of wafting, almost ethereal elegance, with saline somehow crystalline mineral character shimmering through. Juicy and still very fresh, the finish is in no way disturbed - in fact, all of the flavors seem set in relief - by this wine-s very restrained sweetness. This will be glorious on its own or in many culinary contexts, and given how youthful it shows at this stage, I cannot imagine it worthy of less than an additional 4-5 years in bottle. From the stony -little brother- site to Hund, a 2005 Riesling Klausberg Privatreserve was only bottled and released last year. I decided to give this unusually sharp and austere wine the benefit of the doubt and shall publish a note after re-tasting it this June. Given the time elapsed since its harvest - the first, from young vines - and the length of time many reserve bottlings spend on the Nikolaihof price list - because most Austrians drink exclusively the youngest available wine - this approach does not strike me as inappropriate. Nikolaus Saahs followed up his amazing 2006 collection with more than suitable successors (although the top Rieslings of 2007 - following usual Nikolaihof practice - will only be unveiled this year or next, and could not yet be reviewed). As is frequently the case at this passionately biodynamic address, the Saahs family is happy to point out that they finished harvesting fully ripe fruit - early October - before some area growers had probably even begun. - Wine Advocate(Feb 2009)

Food Pairings

Pork, ham, scallops. Salmon or tuna most anyway even tartare. Asian food. An excellent wine with food.