2019 Weingut Franz Hirtzberger Riesling Steinerterrassen Federspiel Wachau 750 ml

Master Sommelier Sur Lucero is no stranger to top-quality Riesling, and when it comes to Austria, he is unequivocal: “In my personal opinion, Franz Hirtzberger is the best Riesling producer in Austria. Period.”

Wine Advocate agrees. They have described the Rieslings of Hirtzberger as “true classics: pure, lean and fascinating in their minerality and terroir expression,” and the 2019 Franz Hirtzberger Riesling Federspiel Steinterrassen is a fantastic introduction to the magic of Hirtzberger’s wines. Radiant and structured, with personality to spare, James Suckling awarded it 95 points, calling it “a masterpiece.” It promises to age gracefully for another five years at least.

For fans of crisp, bright white wines like top-quality Grüner Veltliner and high-end Sancerre, this one will come as a revelation.

Franz Hirtzberger is obsessive in the vineyard, picking each vine up to five times, only taking single clusters when they’re at their peak and leaving the rest for the next visit. This guarantees that he and his team have the ideal juice to work with in the winery.

There, everything they do is aimed at producing a wine that is as pure and precise as possible. That means stainless-steel fermentation for as long as it takes for the wine to become bone-dry. It also involves minimal stirring of the lees, plus a finishing touch in old wooden foudres, which subtly softens the angles of this impressively layered wine.

The 2019 Franz Hirtzberger Riesling Federspiel Steinterrassen is a wine for the cellar, for the dinner table—or for any other time. It’s that good.