Markus Huber Obere Steigen Gruner Veltliner 2018
-
Suckling
James -
Spirits
Wine & -
Enthusiast
Wine
Product Details
Your Rating
Somm Note
Winemaker Notes
Medium green yellow; pure pepper on the nose; hinting at typical Grüner spiciness; aromatic herbs and yellow fruit; dense and complex on the palate; great promise for the future.
Goes very well with any kind of seafood; as well with chicken and turkey.
Professional Ratings
-
James Suckling
Very pretty nectarines, loquats and oyster shells. The direct acidity drives through layers of peach pit and lemon pith to a bright, steely finish. Succulent, juicy and minerally at the same time. Drink now.
-
Wine & Spirits
The Hubers made just enough wine to supply their restaurant before Markus took over in 2000. Now they farm nearly 100 acres in Traisental, and contract with growers for another 100. Huber culls this wine from old vines around Nussdorf, where the sandy loam sits on limestone. Fermented in stainless steel, it’s smoky and salty, with fleshy flavors of green pear and gingerroot. It feels cool and broad, ready to coddle herb-roasted fish.
-
Wine Enthusiast
Gentle, mossy freshness of green pear on the nose continues seamlessly on the light, slightly spritzy palate. This is slender, gentle and very light but also bright with freshness and rounded pear flavor. The finish is refreshing and has a dash of white pepper. Broadbent Selections, Inc.
Other Vintages
2022-
Suckling
James
-
Suckling
James -
Parker
Robert
-
Suckling
James
-
Enthusiast
Wine -
Suckling
James
-
Suckling
James -
Enthusiast
Wine
-
Enthusiast
Wine
-
Enthusiast
Wine
-
Enthusiast
Wine
-
Enthusiast
Wine
-
Enthusiast
Wine
Absolute focus on the strengths of the region and the unique soil types that are found there ensure that year to year the wines display unmistakable clarity of fruit. "Sustainable development, carefully controlling the harvest and meticulous pruning are the most natural and important prerequisites for successful winemaking", says Markus. "Only that way can there be a harmonious merging of traditional and modern methods that create pure wines of unique provenance and character."
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.
Appreciated for superior wines made from indigenous varieties, Austria should be on the radar of any curious wine drinker. A rather cool and dry wine growing region, this country produces wine that is quintessentially European in style: food-friendly with racy acidity, moderate alcohol and fresh fruit flavors.
Austria’s viticultural history is rich and vast, dating back to Celtic tribes with first written record of winemaking starting with the Romans. But the 20th century brought Austria a series of winemaking obstacles, namely the plunder of both world wars, as well as its own self-imposed quality breach. In the mid 1980s, after a handful of shameless vintners were found to have added diethylene glycol (a toxic substance) to their sweet wines to imitate the unctuous qualities imparted by botrytis, Austria’s credibility as a wine-producing country was compromised. While no one was harmed, the incident forced the country to rebound and recover stronger than ever. By the 1990s, Austria was back on the playing field with exports and today is prized globally for its quality standards and dedication to purity and excellence.
Grüner Veltliner, known for its racy acidity and herbal, peppery aromatics, is Austria's most important white variety, comprising nearly a third of Austrian plantings. Riesling in Austria is high in quality but not quantity, planted on less than 5% of the country’s vineyard land. Austrian Rieslings are almost always dry and are full of bright citrus flavors and good acidity. Red varietal wines include the tart and peppery Zweigelt, spicy and dense Blaufränkisch and juicy Saint Laurent. These red varieties are also sometimes blended.