The Knoll family has been farming vineyards in the village of Unterloiben since the early nineteenth century. Now led by Emmerich Knoll III, the family works sixteen hectares of steep, terraced vineyards along the northern bank of the Danube, planted primarily to grüner veltliner and riesling across some of the Wachau’s most storied sites: Schütt, Loibenberg, Kellerberg, Kreutles. They ferment with native yeasts in stainless steel and large neutral oak casks, releasing nothing before it is ready. Their iconic Saint Urban label, first used in 1962, has become one of the most recognizable images in Austrian wine.
Ried Schütt is the vineyard that made the Knoll name. First documented in 1289, its steep, south- and southeast-facing terraces sit on deep weathered gneiss deposited through the Mentalgraben gully, which also channels cold air across the site at night. That ventilation keeps the wines precise even at Smaragd-level concentration — a minimum of 12.5% alcohol — and the wine is aged for eight to nine months in large neutral oak. The 2022 Schütt is slender and flinty, with notes of green pear, white pepper, and a savory, almost miso-like depth.
The 2022 vintage brought hail damage and a rainy harvest, meaning less Smaragd was produced than usual, but what survived is taut, precise, and built for decades. 95 points from Vinous.
