Winemaker Notes
The wine presents a lively bouquet that is fresh, pleasantly fruity, and delicate, with notes of hay flowers, ripe pome fruit, freshly cut citrus peels, and a touch of peppery spice. On the palate, it is fresh and dry with juicy apple flavors, hints of tropical fruit, dried herbs, and layered nuances that create great balance and a soft texture, melting into a long, spicy finish. It pairs beautifully with fish, poultry, veal, beef, pork, and a wide range of Asian cuisine.
Professional Ratings
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Wine Spectator
Sweet quince and crunchy pear notes reveal a subtly honeyed edge, which brings warmth to the otherwise firm, steely frame. Elements of earth, lentil and cooling river stone minerality add complexity. The finish is clean and nicely balanced. Drink now through 2030. 45 cases imported.
Fun to say and delightfully easy to drink, Grüner Veltliner calls Austria its homeland. While some easily quaffable Grüners come in a one-liter—a convenient size—many high caliber single vineyard bottlings can benefit from cellar aging. Somm Secret—About 75% of the world’s Grüner Veltliner comes from Austria but the variety is gaining ground in other countries, namely Hungary, the Czech Republic, Slovakia and the United States.
Climbing north and slightly east of the Kremstal region, Kamptal has very little vineyard area bordering the Danube River (unlike Wachau and Kremstal, whose vineyards run along it). The region takes its name from the river called Kamp, which traverses it north and south. Kamptal’s densely planted vineyards represent eight percent of Austria’s total.
The area experiences wide diurnal temperature variations like the Wachau but with less rain and more frost. Its vast geologic diversity makes it suitable for various experimentations with other varieties besides Grüner Veltliner and Riesling, such as Chardonnay, Pinot Blanc (Weissburgunder), Sauvignon Blanc, Pinot Noir, St. Laurent and Zweigelt.
But the region is probably most noted for the beautiful and expansive terraced Heiligenstein, arguably one of the world’s top Riesling sites, as well as some of Austria’s most extraordinary Grüner Veltliner vineyards. Kamptal’s soils, which are mostly loess and sand with some gravel and rocks, make it suitable for Grüner Veltliner, so much so that actually half of the zone is planted to that grape.