ABOUT: This family-run estate in the Austrian village of Schutzen has been turning heads for the last two decades with their impeccably created white and red wines. Situated on a sunny, limestone rich slope on the western side of the Lake Neusiedl is the Prieler Vineyard called Seeberg, home to their famous Pinot Blanc. Meticulous work in the vineyard (natural pest management, rigorous pruning, multiple tries) and in the winery (multiple sorting, pied de cuve) has won them accolades from many respected wine journalists. The youngest, Georg, has begun the conversion from organic viticulture to biodynamics and I suspect the quality of the future wines from Prieler will be off the chart. TASTE:The 2015 Prieler Seeberg Pinot Blanc has a secretive aroma, a subtle whiff of salty, briny tang, followed by aromas of fresh lemons, oranges, limes, grapefruit, peach, and smoke. Medium bodied, medium alcohol and a medium amount of acidity, with flavors of oranges, limes, and crunchy peaches. More so than the fruit, the briny notes and citrus tang are up front and in your face. There is an attractive prickly, spicy dimension. This Pinot Blanc is highly complex with a long finish and manages to get into every nook of your mouth. Fresh tingling of the teeth. So good. We’ve paid a lot more for white wines that haven’t been half this good. PAIR: Eggs, soft cheeses, sour cream and onion potato chips, roasted root vegetables, and is a perfect fit for Thai food, especially Pad See Ew.
