Winemaker Notes
Complex bouquet, grapefruit, peach, hints of herbs, lively strucutre on the palate, dancing acidity, citric aromes and peppery finish, great length and animating on the palate. A very sophisticated wine for special moments!
Professional Ratings
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Vinous
The 2022 Grüner Veltliner Ried Pankraz, grown on gravelly calcareous marl, is from a ferment containing a small proportion of hand-destemmed whole berries and must to extract a gently phenolic structure. This was fermented in used 500-liter barrels. The final wine is not pressed, so the extract remains gentle. Fern, pepper and white miso define the nose of this spicy Grüner. This is muscular and juicy, with peppery boldness and a distinct phenolic veil that makes the pepper shine even more. (Bone-dry)
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Wine Spectator
There's a gentleness and elegance to this intriguing, harmonious white. Subtle notes of green plum and nectarine are set against flinty minerality, offering nicely integrated savory elements including thyme and oregano. Soft and round in feel, with a zing of fresh-cracked white pepper and macadamia nut gliding through on the silky finish.
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James Suckling
Lemon curd, ripe apricots and fresh mangoes on the nose of this full-bodied white, balanced by a lemony freshness. Light tannin firmness on the finish. From organically grown grapes.
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Wine Enthusiast
There is a slight grip here, before it turns juicy. The palate is mineral-driven, with sea salt accenting lentil and lime blossom. Light hints of blanched almond and baking spice emerge on the long and interesting finish.
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.