Winemaker Notes
The crown jewel and the top vineyard for Bernhard. The vineyards are in a sort of amphitheater which is open to the south but protects the vines from the wind (high elevation here, from 280-320 meters above sea level). Here one finds the deepest, calcareous loess soils, up to 20 meters deep and the oldest vines, some of which were planted in 1956. This is the inspiration for Bernhard’s life's work.
Professional Ratings
-
Vinous
The 2021 Grüner Veltliner Rosenberg is harvested from 1956-planted vines that root in deep loess. The wine stays on gross lees for two winters. The second winter, so Ott, is crucial, as the yeasts pull back some of the richness they initially lent to the wine. This is immediately creamy on the nose, while the palate comes in with immense concentration. Zestiness and stoniness meet on the linear, precise frame. Lemon follows on this trail with urgency and insistence. This wine is a contradiction of everything you may think of loess. The finish is long and shows off a subtle but very becoming astringency, lending both structure and beauty. (Bone-dry)
-
Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The 2021 Ried Rosenberg 1ÖTW Feuersbrunn Grüner Veltliner opens with a clear, intense and deep sur-lie scented bouquet of crushed stones and, well, yeast. Pure, lean and fresh on the palate, this is a full-bodied Veltliner with a vivacious palate that quotes white fruits, fine tannins and lingering salinity. There are fine bitters in the finish. It is powerful but in a hidden way.
-
Wine Spectator
More savory than fruit-driven, this complex, smoky and multilayered version pulses with saline energy, offering salty earth and white mocha notes that coat a heart of spiced apple and quince. There's a brioche accent on the creamy palate, which is full yet vivid, with floral high tones. Lemony freshness and bitter radish spiciness take over on the long, rich and gorgeous finish. Drink now through 2031.
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.