Hi-Time's Top Wines from Austria
F.X. Pichler is the jewel of the Wachau. The F.X. Pichler family wine estate is now in its seventh generation, with Lucas Pichler taking over since the late 1990’s. Around 1999, Lucas opted out of the Austrian classification system Vinea Wachau, and no longer uses the familiar terms such as Steinfeder, Federspiel and Smaragd. Instead, he favors classification by origin instead of by body weight or style. At all levels, the wines are dry, sleek and elegant with beauty and power. All work is done by hand. They are also CERTIFIED ORGANIC.
JAMES SUCKLING 100 POINTS - "The devil isn’t in the details but in the very center of the peaches and mangoes. Amazing freshness, vitality and finesse on the superfocused, medium-bodied palate. What makes this stand out is the incredibly stony finish, a touch austere for some, but who can resist the ultimate in minerality? From organically grown grapes. Vegan. Drinkable now but best from 2026."
F.X. Pichler is the jewel of the Wachau. The F.X. Pichler family wine estate is now in its seventh generation, with Lucas Pichler taking over since the late 1990’s. Around 1999, Lucas opted out of the Austrian classification system Vinea Wachau, and no longer uses the familiar terms such as Steinfeder, Federspiel and Smaragd. Instead, he favors classification by origin instead of by body weight or style. At all levels, the wines are dry, sleek and elegant with beauty and power. All work is done by hand. They are also CERTIFIED ORGANIC.
JAMES SUCKLING 100 POINTS - "The devil isn’t in the details but in the very center of the peaches and mangoes. Amazing freshness, vitality and finesse on the superfocused, medium-bodied palate. What makes this stand out is the incredibly stony finish, a touch austere for some, but who can resist the ultimate in minerality? From organically grown grapes. Vegan. Drinkable now but best from 2026."
