WCC Austrian Riesling @ Jack's Oyster House, 5/28/2026

WCC Austrian Riesling Non-Blind
Jack's Oyster House, Albany, NY, 5/28/2026

My Albany-area group (the Wine Collectors Club) got together to taste Austrian Riesling non-blind at Jack's Oyster House in Albany. Dinner began around 7pm and ended around 9:30pm.

One member of our group, Salil provided all the wine.

Jack's Oyster House is under new ownership. It opened in 1913 and was a legendary hangout for the political folks since it is just down the street from the capitol. It is an excellent venue for these dinners since we get a private room and Executive Chef Nick Parker did a marvelous job of making wine-friendly, delicious food. Also the Beverage Director Josh Turo is someone we've worked with many times when he was at Yono's.

Click on any image with a border for a larger view of that image.

The Menu and the lovely room for our dinner:

The bread plate and a roll.

Flight 1: Nikolaihof Riesling Reserve Steiner Hund
Amuse Bouche of Foie Mousse, Crostini, Blistered Tomato.
What a yummy mouthful.

2006 Nikolaihof Riesling Reserve Steiner Hund - Austria, Niederösterreich, Wachau
[Double-decanted around 4pm. From Krems-Stein in the Kremstal DAC and thus not marketed as Smaragd.] Gorgeous floral nose. Rich, complex, super long finish. (95 points)
2016 Nikolaihof Riesling Reserve Steiner Hund - Austria, Niederösterreich, Wachau
[Double-decanted around 4pm. From Krems-Stein in the Kremstal DAC and thus not marketed as Smaragd.] Muted citrus and flowers in the nose. Thick, rich, young complex. (93–?? points)

Flight 2: Three 2012 Alzinger Riesling Smaragds
Short Rib with Green Papaya, Citrus, Tamarind, Espelette.
Espelette is a mild chili pepper from the Basque region of France.
It wasn't super hot, but hot enough to interfere with the wine,
so I just ate the short rib which was delicious.

2012 Alzinger Riesling Smaragd Dürnsteiner Hollerin - Austria, Niederösterreich, Wachau
[Double-decanted around 4pm.] Stunning nose of citrus and flowers. Rich, thick, complex. Should drink well for 10-20 years more. (95 points)
2012 Alzinger Riesling Smaragd Hohereck - Austria, Niederösterreich, Wachau
[Double-decanted around 4pm.] Cheesy citrus nose. Not bad, but something is not right here. Some said it improved with air, but I didn't see that. Judgement reserved.
2012 Alzinger Riesling Smaragd Steinertal - Austria, Niederösterreich, Wachau
[Double-decanted around 4pm.] Gorgeous nose of flowers and slate. A stunningly complex wine with a bit of a bite on the finish. My #3 WOTN. (97 points)

Flight 3: Two 2015 F.X. Pichler Riesling Smaragds
Chicken Française with Artichoke Purée, Spinach, Crab.
This was really delicious. The crab didn't add much but the spinach was tasty.
I brought some of the chicken home. My wife tasted it and said it was just like
what her Hungarian grandmother made. This is the highest praise from her.

2015 F.X. Pichler Riesling Smaragd Ried Steinertal - Austria, Niederösterreich, Wachau
[Double-decanted around 4pm.] Another stunning nose of lemon custard and pear. Big, rich, complex citrus and petrol. (95 points)
2015 F.X. Pichler Riesling Smaragd Ried Kellerberg - Austria, Niederösterreich, Wachau
[Double-decanted around 4pm.] Rich, complex nose of slate and lemon. Rich and thick in the mouth. Complex and stunning with a great future. (95–?? points)

Flight 4: All three 2015 Franz Hirtzberger Riesling Smaragds
Veal Milanese with Mustard Greens, Lemon.
This was so good. The veal was tender and flavorful. The crust was fabulous.

2015 Franz Hirtzberger Riesling Smaragd Hochrain - Austria, Niederösterreich, Wachau
[Double-decanted around 4pm.] Rich nose of citrus, slate, and something herbal. Expansive in the mouth with bracing acidity and rich complexity. Could use more time. (96–?? points)
2015 Franz Hirtzberger Riesling Smaragd Setzberg - Austria, Niederösterreich, Wachau
[Double-decanted around 4pm.] Another huge, rich, complex nose of minerals and citrus. Super long finish. Wow! My #2 WOTN. (97–?? points)
2015 Franz Hirtzberger Riesling Smaragd Singerriedel - Austria, Niederösterreich, Wachau
[Double-decanted around 4pm.] Another rich, complex gorgeous nose. Expansive palate with great balance and intensity. The most stunningly complete wine of the night. My #1 and group #1 WOTN. (98–?? points)

Dessert
Savory Cheese Course of Gruyère, Brioche, Truffle, Marcona Almonds.
Extraordinary texture and flavor. Just an amazing dish.
The world's greatest grilled cheese sandwich!

2012 Selbach-Oster Zeltinger Schlossberg Riesling 'Schmitt' - Germany, Mosel Saar Ruwer
[Opened but not decanted around 5pm.] This is a lovely sweet wine with citrus and petrol, but coming after all these brilliant dry wines, it seems a bit simple. Still quite nice. (91 points)

Summary
Under Salil's tutelage, I have grown to really appreciate these great dry white wines from Austria. I believe several members of our group gained a greater appreciate tonight. Great job by Salil of selecting the wines and organizing the flights.

All the wines:

My notes posted from CellarTracker. Here are Salil's notes on CellarTracker.

WOTN Voting (3pts each for #1, 2pts for #2, 1pt for #3)

Rank	Pts	Wine
1	15	2015 Hirtzberger Smaragd Singerriedel
2	9	2015 F.X. Pichler Smaragd Steinertal
3(tie)	8	2015 F.X. Pichler Smaragd Kellerberg
3(tie)	8	2015 Hirtzberger Smaragd Setzberg
5	7	2015 Hirtzberger Smaragd Hochrain
6	5	2012 Alzinger Smaragd Steinertal
7	4	2006 Nikolaihof Reserve Steiner Hund
8	2	2012 Alzinger Smaragd Hollerin