| Region of production: | Wachau |
| Winery Location: | Oberloiben |
| Year Established: | 1898 |
Vineyard Holdings
18 ha
- Frauenweingarten: sandy soil, planted to Grüner Veltliner for Federspiel wines
- Klostersatz
- Oberhauser: subsite within Klostersatz, gravel soils; planted to Riesling
- Burgstall: gneiss and granite soil; planted to Riesling for Federspiel wines
- Steinertal: located between Loibenberg and Pfaffenbergl soil is weathered gneiss,
- Loibenberg: primitive rock soil; planted to Riesling and Grüner Veltliner
- Dürnsteiner Liebenberg: soil is gneiss and mica schist
- Dürnsteiner Kellerberg
Top Wines Produced & Inaugural Vintages
- Grüner Veltliner Dürnsteiner Liebenberg Smaragd
- Grüner Veltliner Loibner Berg Smaragd
- Grüner Veltliner Loibner Steinertal Smaragd
- Grüner Veltliner Kellerberg Smaragd
- Grüner Veltliner Urgestein Terrassen
- Grüner Veltliner ‘M’ Smaragd
- Riesling Burgstall Federspiel
- Riesling Steinertal Smaragd
- Riesling Loibner Berg Smaragd
- Riesling ‘M’ Reserve
- Riesling Dürnsteiner Kellerberg Smaragd
- Riesling Unendlich Smaragd (1998)
Average Total Production
- 120,000 bottles
Summary
F.X. Pichler is often cited as one of the Wachau’s finest estates, having achieved cult status in Austria and membership in Vinea Wachau. Franz Pichler Sr. began a selection of his finest Grüner Veltliner grapes in 1928, but the winery gained most of its acclaim under Franz Xaver (or “F.X.”) Pichler, who took over in 1971. The winery’s trademark is their single-vineyard Grüner Veltliners and Rieslings, the majority of which are Smaragd level (80% of production is Smaragd, the remaining Federspeil). F.X.’s son Lucas joined in 1996, and took over winemaking in 1999 with F.X. continuing to manage the vineyards. Lucas took complete control of vineyard management and winemaking on F.X.’s official retirement in 2009, the same year a new cellar was constructed. In addition to their vineyard-designate wines, they make two top-end cuvees, “F.X. Unendlich” (German for never-ending), first made in 1988, and “M” (for “monumental”), first made in 1991. Each is a selection of the best grapes from different vineyards.
Style & Vinification Techniques
Wines are made according to the principles of Vinea Wachau – grapes are harvested by hand (F.X. Pichler harvests late for prime physiological ripeness) and there is no chapitalization or additives. The wines are aged in traditional large oak casks and are not fined prior to bottling.
Producer Website: F.X. Pichler