The Knoll estate is located in the town of Unterloiben in the Wachau wine-growing region in Lower Austria. It has been run by an Emmerich Knoll for several generations. Today, an Emmerich senior and an Emmerich junior are in charge.
This estate has consistently been one of the top producers over a period of decades. The vineyard are totals 13,5 hectares, with holdings in top Wachau sites such as the Kellerberg, Kreutles, Loibenberg and Schütt, as well as in the Pfaffenberg site in the neighbouring wine-growing region Kremstal. Naturally, wines from the Pfaffenberg site may not be labelled with the Wachau quality classifications (Federspiel, Steinfeder, Smaragd). 45% each of the vineyard area is planted with the key vatieties Grüner Veltliner and Riesling, the remainder with Chardonnay, Gelber Muskateller, Rivaner (Müller-Thurgau), Gelber Traminer and the only red variety, Pinot Noir.
For decades now, the bottle label has shown the patron saint of winemakers, St. Urban. Here, as well as in the vinification processes, there is a positive attitude to tradition and reliability. A wide range of around 30 wines is produced, with nine Riesling and Veltliner wines each. When vintage conditions permit, sweet botrytised specialities such as Auslese, Beerenauslese and Trockenbeerenauslese are produced.
Knoll’s wines are generally regarded as late developers with good maturation potential, the best of which will keep for decades. The wines regularly achieve top accolades at both national and international level, the prizes awarded would fill a book on their own. Annual production is around 120.000 bottles of wine. Spirits are also produced. The estate is a member of the Vinea Wachau Nobilis Districtus association.
About WineThe absolute flagship wines of the estate are the Grüner Veltliner Smaragd Schütt, Grüner Veltliner Smaragd Vinothekfüllung, Riesling Smaragd Schütt and Riesling Smaragd Vinothekfüllung. These are often also bottled in magnums. Other premium wines include the Grüner Veltliner Smaragd Loibenberg, Riesling Smaragad Kellerberg, Grüner Veltliner Kreutles, Riesling Pfaffenberg Selection (from the Kremstal region), Gelber Traminer Smaragd and Gelber Muskateller Federspiel.
Tasting NotesThe 2006 Riesling Smaragd Schutt leads with apple blossom, musky narcissus, and refreshing grapefruit, lime, and fresh yellow plum. Diverse and elusive mineral shadings are palpable on the palate, beneath a pure, clear torrent of fruit. Faintly pungent smokiness, salinity, crushed stone, and exuberant citrus inform this wine’s formidably long finish. This combines minerality akin in its complexity and persistence to that of the corresponding Kellerberg, with the sheer generosity of fruit found in the Schutt. It will be hard to keep one’s hands off of a corkscrew here, and there is no need to. This ravishing Riesling will repay 8-10 years of cellaring.
