98 pts Vinous
The 2023 Riesling Achleiten Smaragd is still reduced on the nose; underneath is a flicker of citrus, perhaps even of conifer. The palate dances in on light feet, leaving its traces on the stone like a figure skater on ice. The palate is full of zest, somehow alive in its incredible youthfulness, energy and stony power. It is a lovely and gracious monument. Wow. (Bone-dry) - By Anne Krebiehl MW on May 2024

The Vineyard: Achleithen, from “ach” meaning water path and “leiten” referring to the slope, is a terraced vineyard in Weißenkirchen sitting between 200 and 400 meters of elevation. Rudi Pichler’s parcel lies in the small section of Achleithen that faces west where weathered Gföler Gneiss dominates the upper terraces. Achleithen is one of the most famous vineyards in the Wachau and gives wines that are distinctly mineral

Anne Krebiehl MW (Vinous) on May 2024:
“Exciting” is how Rudi Pichler described 2023. The estate sustained some hail damage in late August in the lowest-lying and highest Riesling parcels; hence, there is no Riesling Federspiel this year. Pichler quickly adds that those further east, in Kamptal, were hit much worse. He said that several theories did the rounds regarding hail-damaged bunches: some insisted that since affected grapes had dried out, they would not make a difference during skin contact, “but we decided to sort them all out completely and painstakingly.” This was only possible by recruiting many more pickers from friends and family and then dealing with all the extra admin this entails in Austria. “We managed it all, and that was a feat,” Pichler says. “It was the right decision.” Harvest started on 3 October and was done by mid-November – and the wines are as linear and taut as ever, even if the fruit flavors are in a riper spectrum.