Federspiel is the term used to describe the wines produced in the Wachau that have an alcohol level of 12.5% or lower. These wines are usually bright, clean and medium bodied, but F.X. Pichler's Federspiels tend to be richer than most. They often more closely resemble other producers Smaragd level wines. Based on past vintages, I expected that the 2006 F.X. Pichler, Gruner Veltliner, Federspiel, "Klostersatz" to be rich and intense. The weather in 2006 resulted in rich, full-bodied wines and many Federspiels produced from this year reflect this. Ironically, this wine (from a vineyard on the flat land below the terraces that line the Wachau) is lighter then 2004 and 2005 versions. Medium bodied and elegant, this bottle opened some after an hour in the glass, but never showed the beautiful texture that I love in the wines from this domaine. Maybe the wine is in awkward place at the moment and just needs some time in the bottle. The other 2006's I have tasted from Pichler have been awesome, so I would be willing to bet that this wine will show more down the road.
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