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Wine Spectator has put Prager on its TOP 100 LIST THREE TIMES

Not once. Not a fluke. THREE. Same vineyard. Same family. Same impossibly rare soil. The kind of track record that makes you PAY ATTENTION!!! - Not to mention 94 and 93 pointers as well.

Prager 2024 Steinriegl Riesling Federspiel. Wachau, Austria. SRP $65. YOUR PRICE: $39 for a wine with a Top 100 pedigree and a story that goes back to 1715!!!

Now. Most Operatives think Austria and think Grüner Veltliner. Fair call. We tasted a Grüner from another producer recently that was genuinely outstanding. Then we opened THIS DRY RIESLING. The Grüner did not stand a chance. Not even close.

- James Suckling nailed it: “Vibrant white-peach aroma and flavor married to extremely refreshing acidity. Crisp, zesty finish.”

Here is why. The Steinriegl vineyard sits on kalksilikatmarmor. (yeah, that’s one we won’t attempt to say, but if you are feeling adventurous..alk-ah-LICK-zee-lee-cot.) Limestone silicate MARBLE. A geological outlier that barely exists anywhere else in the Wachau. That chalky mineral pull underneath all the fruit? That’s the soil talking.

Prager has been here since 1715. Franz Prager co-founded the Vinea Wachau in 1983 and wrote the classification rules the entire region still runs on. The current winemaker is also a geologist, biologist, historian, and sitting Mayor of Weißenkirchen. In Austria and wine collector circles, it’s a name that holds serious weight. The estate has risen to become a giant of Austria’s Wachau, with Toni Bodenstein’s work placing it among the world’s greatest sources of dry Riesling, and arguably the greatest for Grüner.

Vivid Fuji apple and sun-warmed white peach on the nose, with a thread of quince and something almost flinty underneath. The palate is barely medium bodied, racy and dry, with a lip-smacking freshness that just keeps going. Elegant. Precise. The finish is clean and long and makes you want another sip immediately. We opened one bottle. Then another. IT WAS SO DELICIOUS!!

One more thing. The 2024 vintage did not produce a big crop. We did not get much of this. The bottle count is real and it will move.

A 310 year old producer, a UNESCO World Heritage site, a soil type that barely exists, and arguably the most underrated white wine region on the planet. Move quickly operatives..:) We brought this in only for marathon.

94 Points – Vinous “Toni and Robert Bodenstein were among the few who did not harvest at all before the rain. Frost cost them 50% of yield on the Steinriegl site, despite the use of frost candles, but thankfully it budded again. “The rain really helped with the vitality of the vines,” said Toni Bodenstein. “Before the big rain, there was dry stress—an altogether stressed scenario for the vines. The rain slightly normalised the sugar levels of Grüner Veltliner and gave them a different acid structure. But we also have to admit that we had to wait for the Riesling, which weathered the rain a little less well. We harvested later and managed to reach Smaragd levels, but at more moderate alcohol levels.” Harvest ran from 3 to 31 October. The 2024 collection is simply outstanding: elegant, expressive and harmonious. The 2024 Riesling Steinriegl Federspiel comes from a lateral valley with silicate marble and high active lime content. Late spring frost struck, and the vines budded again. Tender citrus notes evoke crushed citrus foliage and lemon brightness. The palate is slender and lithe, with remarkable coolness and clarity, absolutely lemony throughout. Scented from start to finish. Drink 2028-2043.”

93 Points - Falstaff - ”Pale golden yellow with silver reflections. Aromas of fine tropical fruit, a hint of pineapple, nuances of peach, white flowers and delicate hints of grapefruit. Lean palate with white stone fruit. Fresh structure, with a mineral, salty finish and lemony aftertaste.”