Wachau Smaragd Rieslings 1999

My fellow Master of Wine and British wine writer Clive Coates (who is about to move from west London to the Mâconnais) invited me to taste a very specific range of dry Austrian Rieslings recently – specifically from the rocky terraces of the Wachau, specifically from single vineyards there, specifically from his favourite producers there, and specifically from the vintage of his choice, 1999.

This was certainly a fine year in the Wachau, producing wines not as compromised by the extremely high alcohol levels of 1998, although of course the vintage is pretty difficult to buy nowadays. Nevertheless I found...