Long name and typically Germanic thing altogether this, well Austrian that is. Grüner as it fondly known amongst those who have happily made its acquaintance. Now New Zealand looks poised to make some stunners out of the grape but I have a thing for the Germanic/Austrian wine world. These wines are due a come back, is there something to be making a fuss about? I'd better find out.
Big tip, rummaging through the fridge at in the local can turn up a few last chance gems, which, is where I found this. Fittingly this wine is something that the industry seems to have been rummaging around for for quite some time now. A last ditch attempt to find something new. Thing is, like this bottle hiding it out in the fridge, the Grüner has been on the shelves before. The market had somehow fallen out of love with its lively spice. Now, the boys in the Merchant trade are hoping that same spice will liven the white wine market (Empty is considering applying for copyright of awful puns and word plays considering that we use them so often). Aside from my tangent, what are my thoughts towards the big G? Well, frankly, we're missing out.
A bit of back information on the wine probably wouldn't go a miss, seeing as any of the newbies to wine won't be all that familiar with it. Grüner Veltliner, which I shall fondly acknowledge as the big G from this point on, is an Austrian grape, that on finding yourself a good one, you can be rewarded with a wide array matched only by Rieslings, and guess what these bad boys pull an ageing quality that usually only Rieslings and top Chardonnays can, resting happily on a rack for a decade. There is a problem however, try keeping it there that long.
The grape itself a couple of things and to be fair it is a picky little bugger self admittedly by many of the guys behind the wine (and just while we are on the subject of winemaker the chap just up and to the left is the guy that's behind our wine today), with many protesting it's difficulties above Austria's other principle white, the aforementioned and my ever favourite, Riesling.
The vineyard sites where it becomes picky and its begins to become obvious why Austria is top dog for big G once you understand. Liking sites with a specific elevation, the foot of a slope usually, where the soil has just the right amount of clay and extreme mineral content. If you've ever been to Austria, you may have realised they have rather a bollock load of slopes, forgive the language, but I did spend a holiday cycling round the place. How does this one fair for for it's site? Steep slopes but terraced, to compensate. What really ticks boxes here is the soil is primarily rock and lean so our clay balance is good too. Smaragd is one of the notable areas in Austria for quality.
On our vintage, the 2009, is a hit and miss for Mr Parker, who I would oddly note seems to be rather harsh on Germanic wines overall, Alsace taking rather a trashing with many vintages marked as Irregular. Getting more balanced reviews on the year Jancis Robinson notes it as a great vintage with some regrettable but only slight bitterness, a long warm and sunny period meaning that the grapes for big G to a perfect ripeness. Fruit numbers were down, which is not all bad for those less in-tune with this.
The vineyard sites where it becomes picky and its begins to become obvious why Austria is top dog for big G once you understand. Liking sites with a specific elevation, the foot of a slope usually, where the soil has just the right amount of clay and extreme mineral content. If you've ever been to Austria, you may have realised they have rather a bollock load of slopes, forgive the language, but I did spend a holiday cycling round the place. How does this one fair for for it's site? Steep slopes but terraced, to compensate. What really ticks boxes here is the soil is primarily rock and lean so our clay balance is good too. Smaragd is one of the notable areas in Austria for quality.
On our vintage, the 2009, is a hit and miss for Mr Parker, who I would oddly note seems to be rather harsh on Germanic wines overall, Alsace taking rather a trashing with many vintages marked as Irregular. Getting more balanced reviews on the year Jancis Robinson notes it as a great vintage with some regrettable but only slight bitterness, a long warm and sunny period meaning that the grapes for big G to a perfect ripeness. Fruit numbers were down, which is not all bad for those less in-tune with this.
Something else that big G likes and that will be all the important for the rest of us is food. Now despite my stunning looks, my old age is getting the better of me and I am expecting wine to come with food, and am gaining a bloody good appreciation for wines that sit happily at the table with a nice bit of grub. The big G likes the grub it does. It is without doubt one of the most food friendly wines about.
Moving swiftly on, how does this one, fair?
Appearance:
Clear, with an intense golden hue building a little around the edges.
Nose:
Clean, medium nose Pears, Lemon and Blossoms opening. Peppery spice grows a little, well controlled and all very elegant. After two glasses I did something very un-Austrian and cheated (This has become un-Austrian after they got cheating once by adding things they shouldn't to the wine, all non-lethal of course, now thanks to that Austria has one of the cleanest wine industries in the world). Anyway, I cheated, I put the cork back on, and left it until the following day, which is now ritual with me. Big G needs to breath. and Breath a lot, a testimony to it's ability to age . what happened next is why I love big G. Zest, and a racy mineral life with almost paradoxical creaminess. These are serious wines. Don't write them off without giving them a fair chance.
Palate:
Great acidity on the palate. A creamy medium body with pronounced notes all things citrus. Lemon taking the fore again, with notes of apricot, grapefruit and some greenness similar to lime rind. Minerality and spices are batter home the point that these are refreshing little wines. The finish is medium with a clean crispness to them.
Comments:
One thing, and one thing only, let them breath. Try before and after. A possible wine to try with vin-aire.
Score:
(B+) 87 before Breathing, good dollop of air and it shoots right up 2 points to 89 (B+)
Price:
€16.95 (Mill Wine Cellar) Check with Searsons for a list of people stocking this wine.
Value (Out of 5):
4.5
Moving swiftly on, how does this one, fair?
Appearance:
Clear, with an intense golden hue building a little around the edges.
Nose:
Clean, medium nose Pears, Lemon and Blossoms opening. Peppery spice grows a little, well controlled and all very elegant. After two glasses I did something very un-Austrian and cheated (This has become un-Austrian after they got cheating once by adding things they shouldn't to the wine, all non-lethal of course, now thanks to that Austria has one of the cleanest wine industries in the world). Anyway, I cheated, I put the cork back on, and left it until the following day, which is now ritual with me. Big G needs to breath. and Breath a lot, a testimony to it's ability to age . what happened next is why I love big G. Zest, and a racy mineral life with almost paradoxical creaminess. These are serious wines. Don't write them off without giving them a fair chance.Palate:
Great acidity on the palate. A creamy medium body with pronounced notes all things citrus. Lemon taking the fore again, with notes of apricot, grapefruit and some greenness similar to lime rind. Minerality and spices are batter home the point that these are refreshing little wines. The finish is medium with a clean crispness to them.
Comments:
One thing, and one thing only, let them breath. Try before and after. A possible wine to try with vin-aire.
Score:
(B+) 87 before Breathing, good dollop of air and it shoots right up 2 points to 89 (B+)
Price:
€16.95 (Mill Wine Cellar) Check with Searsons for a list of people stocking this wine.
Value (Out of 5):
4.5
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