2024 Emmerich Knoll ‘Loibner’ Federspiel Riesling

A beautifully pure Wachau Riesling from one of Austria’s legendary estates

The unmistakable precision of Knoll — crystalline, mineral and wonderfully alive.

94 Points – Falstaff | 93 Points – JamesSuckling.com

Wachau, Austria | Loiben | RRP $80 | Riesling Federspiel | Pure • Mineral • Precise

“Classic Wachau Riesling from one of Austria’s great estates — citrus, stone fruit and wild herbs wrapped around brilliant acidity and a beautifully mineral finish.”

Tasting Notes

Appearance: Bright pale yellow with green-silver reflections — youthful, pristine and beautifully clear.

Aroma: Lifted and precise, with lime, lemon zest, white peach and fresh apricot layered with delicate florals, wild herbs and cool stony minerality.

Palate: Sleek and beautifully focused. Citrus and white stone fruit lead into a wonderfully refreshing palate with fine acidity, subtle savoury spice and that unmistakable mineral drive associated with great Wachau Riesling.

There’s excellent fruit intensity here, but no heaviness.

Everything feels fresh, energetic and beautifully controlled.

Finish: Long, dry and mouthwatering, with lingering lime, stone fruit, herbs and crushed-rock minerality.

This is Riesling that makes you immediately reach for another glass.

Critical Acclaim

94 Points – Falstaff

Falstaff's Peter Moser found white peach, a touch of apricot, floral nuances and fresh lime zest, followed by a juicy palate with fine acidity, mineral character and a delicate touch of honey through the finish.

93 Points – JamesSuckling.com

Another excellent score for a wine that isn't even positioned among Knoll's heavyweight Smaragd bottlings.

And that's part of the attraction.

This is Federspiel — lighter, fresher and wonderfully drinkable — but still unmistakably Knoll.

Emmerich Knoll – One of the Great Names of Austrian Wine

There are certain producers that define their region.

In the Wachau:

Emmerich Knoll is one of them.

Based in Unterloiben, Weingut Emmerich Knoll has become one of Austria's benchmark producers of Riesling and Grüner Veltliner.

The estate is instantly recognisable by its extraordinary label depicting Saint Urban, the patron saint of winegrowers.

But behind that famous label is a serious collection of vineyards.

Knoll works with some of the Wachau's most celebrated sites, including:

Schütt

Loibenberg

Kreutles

Kellerberg

Pfaffenberg

and other exceptional parcels around Loiben and Dürnstein.

At the top level, Knoll's great Smaragd Rieslings are among the most sought-after and cellar-worthy white wines in Austria.

The Loibner Federspiel gives you a different side of this legendary producer.

What Is Federspiel?

This is important.

Historically, Wachau wines have been divided into three stylistic categories:

Steinfeder — the lightest.

Federspiel — the beautifully balanced middleweight.

Smaragd — the richest and most powerful.

Federspiel is therefore not an indication of lesser care or quality.

It's a stylistic choice.

The wines are generally lower in alcohol and lighter on their feet than Smaragd, placing the emphasis on:

Freshness

Purity

Minerality

Acidity

Drinkability

And with Riesling, that's a pretty compelling combination.

The 2024 Knoll Loibner sits at around:

12% ALCOHOL

making this exactly the sort of Riesling you can open at lunch and wonder where the bottle went.

Loiben – The Heart of the Wachau

The wine comes from vineyards around Loiben, one of the most important wine-growing areas of the Wachau.

This is dramatic wine country.

The Danube River cuts through steep hillsides where vines cling to ancient stone terraces.

The geology is complex, with gneiss, schist and other primary rock formations, combined in places with loess and alluvial material.

These soils, together with the Wachau's warm daytime conditions and cooler influences, create Rieslings capable of combining ripe fruit with exceptional acidity and mineral definition.

That's the Wachau signature.

And Knoll has spent generations learning how to capture it.

2024 – A Vintage Built Around Freshness

The 2024 vintage in Austria was marked by a warm growing season and an unusually early harvest, with careful picking essential to preserve freshness and acidity.

For a wine like this, that's critical.

Federspiel isn't supposed to be about sheer ripeness or power.

It's about balance.

And the 2024 Loibner delivers exactly that.

The fruit is ripe.

The acidity is vibrant.

The alcohol remains beautifully controlled.

And the mineral character keeps everything focused.

Food Pairings

This is an incredibly versatile food wine.

Try it with:

• Fresh oysters
• Grilled prawns with lemon
• Kingfish or snapper sashimi
• Sushi
• Salt and pepper squid
• Roast pork
• Wiener Schnitzel
• Thai salads with lime and herbs
• Vietnamese seafood dishes
• Fresh goat's cheese

Or simply serve it well chilled on a warm afternoon.

This is dangerously easy Riesling to drink.

Why We Love It

Sometimes you don't want the biggest, richest or most powerful wine a great producer makes.

You want the wine you actually want to drink.

And that's where the 2024 Knoll Loibner Federspiel Riesling absolutely nails it.

You get the pedigree of:

EMMERICH KNOLL

One of Austria's great estates.

You get the terroir of:

THE WACHAU

One of the world's great Riesling regions.

And you get a style built around:

Citrus

White peach

Florals

Wild herbs

Minerality

Brilliant acidity

Approximately 12% alcohol

Then add:

94 POINTS – FALSTAFF

93 POINTS – JAMESSUCKLING.COM

and an RRP of:

$80

and you have one seriously compelling bottle of Austrian Riesling.

This isn't trying to be a monumental Smaragd.

And that's precisely the point.

It's finer.

Lighter.

Fresher.

More immediate.

And outrageously drinkable.

Crystalline. Mineral. Energetic. Pure.

The 2024 Emmerich Knoll ‘Loibner’ Federspiel Riesling is a brilliant introduction to one of Austria's legendary producers — and a beautiful example of why Wachau Riesling is so bloody good.