Winemaker Notes
Thick, lime-infiltrated loess walls in combination with tertiary gravel provide another component in the sophisticated interplay of textures and aromas. Very high in acidity, also due to the altitude of the Hengstberg, to which this rare mixture of different soils reveals itself.
Professional Ratings
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
Picked on September 28, Ott's 2017 Grüner Veltliner Ried Feuersbrunner Spiegel 1ÖTW is very clear, subtle and elegant on the distinctive nose. In early September 2018, the nose displayed white stone fruits intertwined with refreshing, refining gravelly and floral notes. Later that month, the wine showed tropical notes on the intensely fruity, elegant, sexy nose. Full-bodied, rich and dense on the palate, with intense, lush, concentrated fruit and vitalizing, fine acidity, this is a very persistent and powerful Veltliner with a very long, forward, mineral and tensioned finish. This is a powerful but elegant giant and needs time to gain finesse and transparency. The elegance here, however, is remarkable. Tasted twice in early and late September 2018.
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Wine Enthusiast
Notes of freshly turned, wet earth attain an air of herbal savoriness, which finds its full expression on the slender and very juicy palate. Ripe yellow plum is joined by arugula, hay flower, crushed yarrow and wet moss. The finish is tapered to a long finish by spiky, fresh lemon.
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.