Prager Flashcards
Style / Vinification
Wines from the Prager estate are known for their high acid levels, low residual sugar, purity and freshness. The wines are picked in multiple passes to avoid harvesting any grapes affected by botrytis. Bodenstein believes in a healthy vineyard ecosystem and does not use any herbicides, insecticides or fertilizers. Fermentation is carried out by natural yeast, and grapes are typically de-stemmed and macerated on the skins for up to 15 hours. Temperature-controlled stainless steel is used for the entire production of Prager wines. The wines are left in the tank on their fine lees until bottling, which typically occurs in February for the Federspiel wines and April for the Smaragd.
History
Summary: The Prager estate is one of the oldest in the Wachau: The first documented mention of it dates back to 1302. The estate is best known for its single-vineyard bottlings of eight different Rieslings and seven different Grüner Veltliners. Franz Prager dedicated his career to the improvement of quality wines from not only his estate but from all of the Wachau. He was a founding member of the Vinea Wachau Nobilis Distictus, where he served as chairman until 1988. Since Franz’s retirement in the 1980s, the estate is now run by his daughter, Ilse, and husband Anton (Toni) Bodenstein.
KLAUS
Klaus: 1.6 ha; soil is gneiss, mica schist and silty-loam; planted to Riesling during WWI and then replanted again in 1953, located east of Achleiten
Achleiten Stockkultur:
Achleiten Stockkultur: 0.4 ha; soil is silty-loam; vines in the top, Stockkultur parcel of the Achleiten vineyard were planted in 1938—some of the oldest in the Wachau
Steinriegl
Steinriegl: 4.8 ha; soil is calcareous, rocky and silty-loam; the only vineyard west of Weissenkirchen in the Prager holdings, this produces both Federspiel and Smaragd Riesling (Federspiel is the flagship); five separate parcels owned by the family, planted to Riesling in 1949, 1953, 1961, 1977, and 1990.
