Winemaker Notes
Pure and pristine. One of the finest dry, white wines , it is both quenching and complex, like Pinot Grigio, Sauvignon Blanc and Viognier had a baby and this is
what popped out.
Professional Ratings
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Wine Enthusiast
Moss, crushed sage and yarrow play alongside green pear on this fresh, vivid nose. The slender, crisp palate adds a note of salty yeast to this and boosts the flavors with lemony freshness. This is quintessential, gorgeous, slender and refreshing Grüner.
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Wine Spectator
Infused with peach and apple flavors that show a hint of orange zest, this white is rich and mouthfilling, underlined by lively acidity that drives the mineral-tinged finish. Drink now through 2024.
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.