Franz Hirtzberger is a generational force in Wachau, with three generations shaping both vineyard and regional legacy. Franz II, a founding voice of Vinea Wachau and longtime president, brought precision and restraint to the cellar, while Franz III now leads winemaking with the same respect for site and structure. Their steep, loess-laden terraces around Spitz—including Singerriedel, Honivogl, and Hochrain—produce some of Austria’s most age-worthy, mineral-driven wines.
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WINEMAKER: Franz Hirtzberger III
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FARMING: Sustainable practices, with low-intervention cellar work
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VARIETY: 100% Riesling
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TERROIR: Hochrain is a section of the Axpoint vineyard in Spitz, composed of deeply weathered loam over thick deposits of windblown loess from the last Ice Age. Rich in quartz, feldspar, and carbonates, this mineral-heavy, calcareous soil retains water well and lends both structure and aromatic lift to Riesling.
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VINIFICATION: Fermented with native yeasts in stainless steel; minimal intervention to preserve site character
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AGING: Aged in large neutral oak casks (Stückfass) for texture and complexity, typical for Smaragd-tier wines
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TASTING NOTES: Expressive and structured, with ripe orchard fruit—yellow peach, golden apple—and notes of white flowers, flinty minerality, and spice. The Smaragd weight brings depth and concentration, while a line of acidity keeps the wine focused and age-worthy.
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FOOD PAIRINGS: Roast pork with apricots, cured trout, Wiener schnitzel, or semi-aged Alpine cheeses
From Our 2025 Bottle Cult Notes:
For collectors of benchmark white wines, Franz Hirtzberger needs no introduction. But for those still building their cellar, this bottle is worth your attention. The 2023 Hochrain Smaragd Riesling is a quietly powerful wine from one of Austria’s most revered estates—a wine that speaks clearly of site, tradition, and time.
The Wachau is Austria’s most prestigious white wine region, and Smaragd is its highest classification, reserved for late-harvested wines of intensity, extract, and ageworthiness. Within this framework, Franz Hirtzberger is considered one of the most exacting and consistent producers in the region. His wines are sought after not only for their purity and depth, but for their ability to evolve gracefully over decades. Collectors often speak of Hirtzberger in the same breath as Dönnhoff, Egon Müller, or Raveneau—names that signal both terroir fidelity and technical mastery.
Hochrain, the vineyard, sits just above the village of Spitz and is one of Hirtzberger’s most prized sites. Unlike the steeper, rocky terraces that dominate much of the Wachau, Hochrain is planted on deeper loess soils, which contribute to the wine’s fuller body and broader aromatic range. While Rieslings from primary rock sites in the Wachau can be tense and angular in their youth, Hochrain has a natural roundness and generosity—always underpinned by acidity and structure, but with a softer edge.
The 2023 vintage produced wines with superb balance. Hand-harvested fruit, whole-cluster pressed, spontaneous fermentation, and extended lees aging in large, neutral oak casks—all standard at Hirtzberger—allow for slow, deliberate development. No manipulation, no forced precision. Just a clear translation of fruit and place.
In the glass, the wine opens with aromas of ripe stone fruit, tangerine peel, crushed herbs, and warm slate. There’s a touch of spice and honey, but nothing heavy. On the palate, it’s layered and dimensional, with the kind of weightless concentration that distinguishes great Riesling. The acidity is beautifully integrated, allowing the wine to expand rather than contract, and the finish is long, mineral, and composed.
This is a wine made for the cellar. It’s drinkable now, certainly, but its best self will likely arrive in 8 to 20 years, when the fruit recedes slightly and the mineral architecture moves forward. Think 2001, 2013, or 2017 for examples of how gracefully Hirtzberger’s Hochrain can age.
Pair now with roast duck, white asparagus, or miso-glazed pork, or cellar it alongside the other Rieslings and Grüns you’re holding for future epiphanies. For Serious Inquiries Only, this wine checks every box: pedigree, precision, scarcity, and the kind of long-term potential that makes collecting feel like a slow, beautiful conversation. We know what we’re doing here ;-) —Cara Patricia, DECANT Co-Founder
