Emmerich Knoll Riesling Smaragd Pfaffenberg

What it pairs with

• Roasted lobster with tarragon
  Complexity and fine acidity are worthy partners to a luxury crustacean preparation.
• Aged Gouda
  After a decade, the wine's richness and mineral complexity match an aged nutty cheese.
• Duck breast with stone fruit sauce
  Stone fruit in the wine resonates with cherry or plum reductions on duck.

How to serve Emmerich Knoll Riesling Smaragd Pfaffenberg

Allow 5 minutes from open to pour.

1. Open and pour. Open and pour directly. No decanting required for this style.
2. Serve at 8-10°C. Cellar temperature (8-10°C) is the band for this style. Warmer pushes alcohol forward; colder dampens aromatics.
3. Glassware. Use a smaller all-purpose white glass; the bowl shape rewards the wine's structure.
4. Pair with. Roasted lobster with tarragon, Aged Gouda, Duck breast with stone fruit sauce. Match the wine's structure to the dish's fat and salt.

History

Pfaffenberg is a Kremstal-classified Ried adjacent to the Wachau boundary. The Knoll family has worked parcels here for decades, producing what many consider their most complex Riesling. The classification is noted as Wachau DAC on the label but the site technically straddles the boundary.

1. 1985 — First Pfaffenberg Riesling Smaragd bottled as a distinct cuvée from this boundary-straddling site

Facts

Producer

Weingut Emmerich Knoll

Grapes

Riesling

Classification

Wachau DAC

Oak

Large old oak Fuder; no new oak

ABV

13.0%

Price

€60-90 at retail

Drinking window

8-25 from vintage

First vintage

1985

Frequently asked about Emmerich Knoll Riesling Smaragd Pfaffenberg

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