Pichler

F.X. Pichler is one of the most renowned winemakers of Austrian wine. Located in the village of Oberloeben, in the eastern part of the Wachau, this family estate has built its reputation over decades thanks to highly concentrated and long-lasting Rieslings and Grüner Veltliners grown in the region’s finest vineyards.

History

The history of F.X. Pichler dates back to the mid-1900's, when Franz Pichler II moved from Rorendorf to the Wachau region. In 1898, his grandson Franz Pichler VI acquired a plot in Oberloeben (in the municipality of Dürnstein), where the winery remains to this day. The modern history of quality began with Franz Pichler Sr. (b. 1906), who embarked on a meticulous clonal selection of the Grüner Veltliner variety. His son, Franz Xaver ‘F.X.’ Pichler (b. 1941), officially took over management in the early 1970s and gradually expanded the winery from less than one hectare to around three, and then to approximately 14 hectares.

The 1984 Loebenberg Grüner Veltliner marked the first breakthrough at national level. The international breakthrough came with the 1990 Kellerberg Riesling, which won comparative tastings in Paris, London and New York. Lucas Franz Pichler (b. 1973), a representative of the seventh generation, took over winemaking from the 2000 vintage onwards and has since managed the estate together with his wife Johanna.

In 2009, a new, modern winery was built in Oberloeben. The estate left the Vinea Wachau association from the 2020 vintage and began the certification process for organic production standards in 2021.

Vineyards

The estate cultivates around 20 hectares of the finest vineyards in Oberloeben and Dürnstein. The list of plots reads like a greatest hits album of the Wachau: Loebenberg, Kellerberg, Liebenberg, Burgstall, Steineratal, Rotenhof, Klosterzatz, Frauenweingarten and Trum.

Around 35–45 per cent of the vineyards are situated on steep terraces of primary rock, created from the 12th–13th centuries onwards. They can only be worked by hand and are a heritage site that is officially protected. The remaining vineyards are located on flatter terrain in the Loibner Basin.

Terroir

The Wachau is a narrow strip of the Danube valley where the Atlantic and Pannonian climates meet. The vineyards, situated on terraces, grow on primary bedrock (gneiss and mica schist) with a very thin layer of soil, which lends the wines tension and minerality. The vineyards in the basin around Loeben are situated on light, warm sandy and gravelly alluvial soils, often with loess admixture, which generally give the wines a rounder and softer character. The river helps to moderate temperatures, and each vineyard has its own microclimate.

Grapes

The plantings consist of roughly half Grüner Veltliner and half Riesling, with a small amount of Gelber Muskateller on the Loebenberg and a very small amount of Sauvignon Blanc on the Rotenhof plot. The Grüner Veltliner vines mainly originate from a selection programme that the elder F.H. Pichler began several decades ago.

Winemaking

Harvesting is carried out by hand in several stages to capture the full range of ripeness. In the cellar, the process is approached with care and precision: depending on the wine, fermentation takes place in stainless steel tanks and large, used oak barrels. The family’s stated aim is for every bottle to reflect the location, vintage and microclimate as clearly as possible.

Since leaving the Vinea Wachau association, the estate no longer uses the Federspiel and Smaragd labels, but follows the DAC Wachau regulations.

Wines

The range starts with fresh village-level wines under the Loiben and Dürnstein labels (Grüner Veltliner and Riesling), as well as Dürnsteiner Gelber Muskateller and a small amount of Sauvignon Blanc. Above these are wines from individual vineyards (Ried).

The flagship Grüner Veltliner wines are produced from grapes grown in the Loibenberg, Steineratal, Liebenberg and Klosterzatz vineyards. The finest Rieslings come from the Loibenberg, Kellerberg, Liebenberg, Burgstall and Klosterzatz.

At the very top is the famous ‘Unendlich’ (meaning ‘infinity’), first produced in 1998; this is usually a Riesling from Kellerberg, and in exceptional years also a Grüner Veltliner (2003 was the last vintage before the most recent release). These are dense, extract-rich wines, made to age for decades.