Global warming has had some positive effect on cooler climes like Austria. We’ve long been fans of their Gruner Veltliner as brisk, terroir conveying, beautifully ‘naked’ wines. There are a lot of folks that have tried previous versions of Gruner and found them a bit too tightly wound and edgy. That’s why it is important for a lot of wine drinkers to take another look at the new ‘kinder, gentler versions’ coming out now. Simply put, just a little more ripeness in the mix makes a big difference in what is in the glass.
‘Today’s’ Gruner still has the varietal specific green pea and white pepper notes that one associates with the genre, and the minerality reflective of the various sites . But the addition of a little white and yellow stone fruit to the mix gives the Gruner experience greater reach. Most folks wouldn’t consider just hauling off and drinking a Gruner as a solo aperitif. But the suppler midpalate and fruit elements, when they still have sufficient support from clean acidity, makes a completely different statement. Is it us, or do Gruners seem friendlier these days? This one is.
Kamptal is a touch warmer, drier appellation anyway, and Weixelbaum is located in a warmer subsection of varied terrains including loess (a fine sedimentary silt), gravel, and some volcanic elements formed during the Parmea Period some 270 million years ago. The soils themselves are responsible for this wine’s insistent, subtle, saline minerality and the snappy acidity supports the lively but supple midpalate. White peach, apple and apricot, and a touch of honey are a gift from the riper fruit, and combine beautifully with those Gruner-specific notes of white pepper, fresh peas, and fennel.
Weixelbaum Grüner Veltliner Ried Wechselberg Kamptal 2018, from a fruit-forward vintage for the region in general, has a mouth-filling, glossy palate entry that gives it a bit more than the expected tenderness, then cuts nicely clean at the finish. If you need a score, we have a Wine Enthusiast 92 (Austrian wines don’t get a lot of media attention these days for whatever reason). But, rather than scores, it’s more about something tasty and bright from a category you may not have considered in a while, at a great price ($19.98)!