# Riesling Unendlich (2023)

- **Producer:** Weingut F.X. Pichler
- **Colour:** white
- **Type:** still
- **Grapes:** Riesling
- **Region:** Niederösterreich, Austria
- **Style:** Classic
- **Alcohol:** 14.0%
- **Average price:** €350
- **Vegan:** Yes
- **Contains sulphites:** Yes
- **When to drink:** Later
- **Serving temperature:** 8–12 °C
- **Aromas & flavours:** peach, apricot, nectarine, mango, passion fruit, pineapple, orange, blossom, butter, cream, vanilla, honey, dried apricot, marmalade, petrol

## About this wine

Unendlich, translating to 'infinite' or 'never-ending,' is the legendary flagship bottling from Weingut F.X. Pichler, one of Austria's most revered estates. Located in the steep, terraced vineyards of the Wachau, the Pichler family has been crafting wines of singular focus and monumental scale since 1905. This iconic bottling is a strict selection of the absolute ripest grapes from the estate's most prestigious grand cru sites, primarily Ried Kellerberg. The striking label features a 200-year-old stage backdrop designed by Karl-Friedrich Schinkel for Mozart's opera 'The Magic Flute,' symbolizing cosmic infinity—a fitting tribute to the wine's legendary, seemingly endless finish.

## Interesting facts

- The label features Karl-Friedrich Schinkel's 1815 stage design for Mozart's opera 'The Magic Flute,' representing cosmic infinity.
- Unendlich is not a single-vineyard wine, but a strict selection of the absolute ripest grapes across Pichler's top grand cru terraces.
- The 2018 Grüner Veltliner Unendlich made history as the first Austrian dry white wine to receive a perfect 100-point score from Robert Parker.

## Food pairing

This monumental white wine requires dishes with matching weight, richness, and complexity. Its full body and high extract sweetness pair beautifully with rich proteins like lobster, veal, and goose, while its vibrant, high acidity effortlessly cuts through heavy cream sauces and animal fats. The subtle residual sugar and intense concentration also make it a spectacular partner for rich, umami-driven Japanese cuisine like fatty tuna and grilled eel.

## Wine making process

Crafted from 100% hand-harvested Riesling grapes selected at extreme maturity from steep, primary rock terraces. The winemaking process emphasizes minimal intervention to preserve the pure expression of the Wachau terroir. Spontaneous fermentation is carried out using natural, wild yeasts in temperature-controlled stainless steel tanks. The wine then undergoes extended aging on its fine lees for 12 to 18 months in large, traditional, neutral Austrian oak casks and 500-liter French oak demi-muids, adding texture, complexity, and structural integration without imparting dominant oak flavors.