2020 Hirsch Riesling Heiligenstein Smaragd

Capable of aging beautifully for decades while already dazzling in its youth

A breathtakingly pure and focused Riesling

96 Points – JamesSuckling.com | 96 Points – Falstaff

Kamptal DAC, Austria
RRP $100 | Single-Vineyard Riesling | Profound • Mineral • Graceful

“A breathtakingly pure and focused Riesling from Austria’s most revered vineyard — crystalline, textural and endlessly complex.”

Tasting Notes

Appearance: Pale straw with silver glints — pristine and radiant.
Aroma: Expressive aromas of lime zest, white peach, and apricot blossom with underlying tones of flint, jasmine, and crushed rock.
Palate: Vibrant, tightly coiled, and supremely elegant. Citrus and stone fruit glide over a spine of crystalline minerality and vivid acidity. Silky texture with seamless balance.
Finish: Long, saline, and powerful — the essence of Heiligenstein’s legendary terroir captured in liquid form.

Critical Acclaim

• 96 Points – JamesSuckling.com
  “So precise and elegant, with lime, white-peach, and crushed-stone aromas. Focused, mineral, and intense with perfect balance. A great Austrian Riesling.”

• 96 Points – Falstaff
  “A Riesling of rare purity and length. Citrus, herbs, and flinty minerality perfectly intertwined. Vibrant yet graceful — a benchmark Heiligenstein.”

Vineyard & Winemaking

The Heiligenstein Vineyard is the crown jewel of the Kamptal, revered as one of the world’s greatest sites for Riesling.
Its steep, south-facing terraces sit on Permian desert sandstone and volcanic rock, formed over 270 million years ago — producing wines of unmatched mineral clarity and longevity.

At Weingut Hirsch, biodynamic farming and minimal intervention allow the vineyard to speak:

• Biodynamically grown fruit from old vines

• Hand-harvested and whole-bunch pressed for delicacy

• Spontaneous fermentation in neutral oak and stainless steel

• Extended lees aging for depth and texture

The result is a Riesling of purity and resonance, with tension, length, and perfect balance between fruit and stone.

Region

Kamptal DAC, Austria – Ried Heiligenstein, Zöbing
The Heiligenstein vineyard stands as Austria’s Grand Cru Riesling site, famed for its heat-retaining rock terraces and cooling evening winds.
The wines are celebrated for their energy, minerality, and age-worthy precision.

Food Pairings

• Grilled lobster or prawns with citrus butter

• Roast chicken with lemon and thyme

• Thai dishes with lemongrass and ginger

• Sushi or sashimi with ponzu

• Soft-rind cheeses like Chaource or Brillat-Savarin

Why We Love It

The 2020 Hirsch ‘Ried Heiligenstein’ Riesling is a masterpiece of energy and elegance, standing shoulder-to-shoulder with the world’s finest dry whites.
It captures the grace, minerality, and quiet power that make Heiligenstein legendary — a wine that speaks of place with absolute clarity.

With dual 96-point acclaim from James Suckling and Falstaff, this is a true Grand Cru Riesling, capable of aging beautifully for decades while already dazzling in its youth.

Pure. Focused. Sublime.
The 2020 Hirsch ‘Ried Heiligenstein’ Riesling is a 96-point Kamptal icon — a wine of balance, beauty, and timeless precision.