Vinoculation

My first introduction to Gruner Veltliner, after hearing it mentioned in hushed whispers, was about three years ago when I was fortunate enough to sit down for an informal yet focused tasting with John Kavanagh and Tim Finn from Neudorf. We tasted about seven or eight Gruners, all from Austria, ranging in price from around $30 to upwards of $100. Of those seven or eight, only one piqued my curiosity, but certainly not enough that I was willing to part with $80 for the wine. In the main, the wines seemed dilute, broad and boring – lacking any identity or charm. It was a lack-lustre, surprisingly poor showing of a group of wines that were commanding premium prices.

So it’s quite interesting to see that Gruner has only increased in popularity. There are now plantings occurring throughout NZ, the wines can be readily purchased from mainstream retailers, and people seem to be genuinely excited about its potential. The Austrian industry, since the infamy of the glycol scandal in the 1980s, has come back with a vengeance it would seem.

Gruner Veltliner is Austria’s grape, a white variety good for food matching and available in a myriad of styles, largely dependent on the region where it’s grown. Peach and citrus are common with the variety, in addition to an inherent spice that can come across as pepper or even tobacco.

Friends were hosting a Gruner tasting at the Lazy Dog on Tuesday night, so a perfect opportunity to go along and have a fresh look at Gruner Veltliner. The wines served, representing the regions of the Wachau, Kremstal and Kamptal respectively, were:

2007 Knoll Gruner Veltliner Federspiel

2007 FX Pichler Gruner Veltliner Frauenweingarten

2006 Prager Zwerithaler Gruner Veltliner Smaragd

2006 Prager Achleiten Gruner Veltliner Smaragd

2006 Salomon Undhof Von Stein Reserve Gruner Veltliner

2006 Hirsch Heiligenstein Gruner Veltliner

2006 Hirsch Lamm Gruner Veltliner

2006 Brundlmayer Langenloiser Berg-Vogelsang Gruner Veltliner

2006 Brundlmayer Alte Reben Gruner Veltliner

2006 Schloss Gobelsburg Kammerner Grub Gruner Veltliner

2006 Schloss Gobelsburg Kammerner Lamm Gruner Veltliner

Knoll, who has earned notoriety through his extravagant labels, has 15ha in various plots under vine. The Federspiel – or “Exploding Jesus” - had a really interesting nose; apricot, cinnamon, guava, mineral – assertive, with complexity and nice proportions. The palate entry is delicate, with subtle lemon/lime, pepper and minerality, finishing with a unique warmth as though “breathmint fresh”. There’s a fine texture and an elegant backbone of acidity. To me, this resembled what Gruner Veltliner – as a varietal wine with typicite – should be, from my limited experience.

Pichler, with 13ha of vineyards, has half planted to Gruner and the other to Riesling (with a smidge of Sauv Blanc). The Frauenweingarten opens with sulphides, mineral and white peach. Citrus palate and quite primary and youthful. It’s more elegant and less phenolic than the former, almost Riesling-like in structure, with a polished texture and juicy acidity. This was nice and easy to like.

Prager is run by Toni Bodenstein and, like the former two producers, rates very highly. An advocate of site and terroir, Bodenstein is a strong believer in wild fermentations. The two wines were quite different. The Zwerithaler spicy and slightly herbaceous, with a very spicy palate and considerable warmth. Rich, big and full-bodied, with candy notes on the finish. It failed to win me over. The Achleiten had a strongly pineapple nose with other tropical fruit; some orange blossom too. Rich, viscous texture, full of sweet, ripe stonefruit. Spicy, and again with that intriguing warmth on the finish. This was a bit flabby for me.

The lone example from Kremstal comes from Salomon Undhof, with his Von Stein Reserve sourced off old vines (50yrs plus) and steep, rocky terraces. A friend tasting by my side suggested a nose of fruit cake with brandy, and she was spot on. This was quirky, to say the least. Spearmint, spice, nutmeg, pine and peach too. Lighter bodied than the others, there was a defined core of intense, spiced-pear fruit. Glycerol texture, but still kept buoyant by delineated acidity. Finishes dry and fresh. Perhaps a caricature, but enjoyable nonetheless.

The final flight, from the Kamptal region, has an appellation requirement that wines be made from Gruner or Riesling and when labelled “Classic” have a minimum 12% alcohol and when labelled “Reserve” have a minimum 13% alcohol. Interesting.

The Heiligenstein from Hirsch comes from very old, desert sandstone and volcanic soils. Lots of citrus on the nose, with some sulphides. Immediately reminds me of Riesling with similarities to the Pichler. Primary, young, with residual sweetness and more palate citrus. Silky texture and complementary acid. This is the crowd pleaser and, for $29, represents unheard of value by Gruner standards, but where’s the Gruner?

Hirsch’s Lamm had a spicy, nutty nose with stonefruit. Glossy texture and quite broad in the mouth with just enough acid. Quite a ripe fruit profile. Ho-hum.

Under an organic regime, Brundlmayer trains most of his grapevines just above ground level to capitalise on soil heat. The Langenloiser has aromas of sweet tropical fruit, sea spray and spice. There is good structure; impressive linearity and a tad phenolic. Citrus on the palate, gentle acidity and a crisp, dry finish. Definitely a food wine.

The Alte Reben – old vines – is very perfumed; hard to pinpoint any one character. The palate is delicate, spicy, with an elegant, supple texture. It’s fresh and quite enjoyable, with a long, musk aftertaste. The best candidate for the cellar I’d say.

One of the oldest wineries in Austria, Schloss Gobelsburg has 35ha surrounding its castle. Aligning themselves with organic practices, the wines are aged in large oak casks made of wood sourced from Austrian forests. The Grub had a complex, tropical nose; ripe peach, guava, paw-paw, also with honey, nettle and beeswax. There’s very juicy fruit on the palate – quite sweet – with the nettle character prominent. Finishes quite gritty.

The final wine, Schloss Gobelsburg Kammerner Lamm, had a really powerful nose. Tropical fruit, flowers, cinnamon and spices. It’s very rich, with lots of fruit and a big texture. Big fruit, big texture, big body – the prop forward of Gruners. A sit-down, thinking wine.

Interesting tasting, looking at three of the major regions with an increase in the anticipated standard of quality from my previous experience. Having said that, I still feel that Gruner Veltliner is commanding a premium that isn’t entirely warranted. These are not cheap wines, at an average cost of $50, and when I would only consider buying 3 out of the 11, it makes it very hard for the punter who is diving in blind.

Jury’s out.