2024 | Weingut Franz Hirtzberger Chardonnay Smaragd | Wachau | Austria

A rare dry Chardonnay from a Wachau grand master — the top "Smaragd" tier, concentrated and mineral.

Weingut Franz Hirtzberger, in Spitz, is one of the two pillars of the Wachau, five generations tending vines planted since the 13th century. Best known for profound Riesling and Grüner Veltliner, the estate also makes a small amount of dry Chardonnay in the top Smaragd ripeness category — organic, concentrated and stony, a Wachau icon's rare take on the grape.

A dry Chardonnay from a Wachau legend is a connoisseur's rarity. Concentrated, mineral, Smaragd-ripe → the estate's whites are worshiped worldwide → at $105.99 you're drinking a Wachau icon's Chardonnay.

• 100% Chardonnay
• Wachau, Austria — Smaragd (top dry ripeness); organic
• Weingut Franz Hirtzberger — a pillar of the Wachau, Spitz
• Weathered-rock terraces; native-yeast ferment

Ripe orchard fruit and citrus over a stony, saline core with vivid acidity and real concentration. Translation: mineral, powerful dry Chardonnay — apple and pear cut with Wachau stone and length, far from any buttery cliché.

A rare dry Chardonnay from one of Austria's greatest estates. Exactly the white to pour for someone who thinks they know Chardonnay.