**WINE SHIPS FRIDAY 2/2**

Domäne Wachau is a super cooperative of 200 growers who farm more than 1/3 of the grapes in Austria’s Wachau. Their impressive vine collection is 100% sustainable and farmed without the use of herbicides and pesticides. From the cold outlier villages west of Spitz, to the warm slopes of Oberloiben, their blended site wines, like this Federspiel, are layered, complex, and drink well above their price points. Recently, I had the honor to taste with Robert Horvath MW, Domäne Wachau’s longtime director. He showed me this 2018 Riesling, and I was captivated by its intensity and flat-out, deliciousness. On the nose a funnel of cold peach with exotic tropical fruits like green guava, white melon, and pineapple drew me into the glass. Then, in classic Riesling fashion, the mineral side of smoky stone and sweet camphor hooked me. Bone-dry on the palate, there’s plenty of fruit and juicy minerals to calm the punchy acidity. More medium-plus bodied than lean, this Federspiel is on the steps of a riper Smaragd style. So, forget precious sushi and drink this with bigger things, like a steak frites medium rare, fries et al. ~Allegra A