Nikolaihof Grüner Veltliner Im Weingebirge Smaragd 2013

94 points David Schildknecht (Vinous): "Bottled in November of last year, this repeatedly failed the official test for Qualitätswein, a detail that Niki Saahs imparts with seeming relish as well as amusement. High-toned suggestions of floral distillates mingle with hints of moss and intimations of the fruits to come. Rhubarb, apple and lime team up for a palate performance of Riesling-like brightness, sap and clarity. A sense of infused crushed stone, black tea and shrimp-shell reduction makes for a fascinating and almost preternaturally persistent finish. Drink now-2035." (Nov 2015)

93+ points Stephan Reinhardt (Wine Advocate): "Very clear and fresh, with a ripe honeydew and cool, flinty mineral aroma with hints of smoked bacon on the nose, the 2013 Grüner Veltliner Smaragd Im Weingebirge is full-bodied, very dense, yet pure and well balanced. Highly elegant on the palate, this is a deep, rich, tension-filled and highly complex Gruner with a long and expressive mineral finish. Powerful and slightly bitter when poured directly from the bottle, this wine benefits a lot from aeration and indicates a great aging potential. Drink 2020-2035." (Apr 2015)

92 points Andreas Wickhoff MW (Decanter): "One of the true biodynamic pioneers in Austria, the Saahs family offers a unique example of Grüner with this 2013, resembling a fine Chablis. The fresh acidity gives lots of vibrancy and the long lees contact a characterful texture. Drink: 2016-2021. (Jul 2016)"

++ Terry Theise: "Refined vetiver aromas, sweet smoke and oleander -- exceptionally beautiful! Even by these standards. The palate is ecstatic; sweetly taut, the exhalings of happy plants, the curious mystery of chlorophyll and waving meadows, the rippling of rabbit muscles, the smile of sinew as they take the stretch they needed. Sure I’m babbling, but this was the right thing to say because only one place on this earth can make a wine like this one."