When we think of Zweigelt as a grape, our minds go to bright and fresh wine, often meant to be consumed young.
Michael Opitz Zweigelt Reserve, on the other hand, shines with some age on it, and we were lucky enough to try a 2019 vintage as part of our Vinera Wine Society box (provided courtesy for review) at roughly six years old, where it was just starting to show its full potential.
An ageable Zweigelt? Well, now we're really interested.
We always love a flavorful Gruner Veltliner from Austria, especially when it has a nice textural component from phenolics as well.
Pichler-Krutzler's Ried Klostersatz Gruner Veltliner from Wachau was one such bottle, and for quality like this, we just can't get enough.
When it comes to a good Gruner Veltliner, there are some things we are always on the lookout for. Strong minerality, waxy phenolics, and stone fruit moving into tropical flavors are a hallmark.
When a Gruner is lacking in these, we often find ourselves disappointed. But when it shines, oh what a wine it is.
Domaine Wachau's Weissenkirchen Gruner Veltliner Smaragd was undoubtedly in the latter category, and this wine was simply a delight that we would drink again and again.
Normally when we think of wine aged in a solera system, our minds go to the fortified wine Sherry. But some still wine is also aged in solera style, with Johannes Zillinger “JZ” Revolution White Solera from Austria being one such bottle.
This blend of Riesling, Chardonnay, and Scheurebe came with an intensity that we honestly did not quite expect!
We love a good Gruner Veltliner, especially when strong terroir-driven minerality becomes the star of the show. Not only are the flavors often incredible when the minerality is present, it also makes for a perfect pairing with Austrian cuisine all around.
Lauren V. Charming Gruner Veltliner from Kamptal may have been the best we've had to date, and so far has been one of our absolute favorite wines received from our Picked by Wine.com subscription.
If the intensity of a Gruner Veltliner is what you seek, this is the bottle to try. That is, if we don't beat you to buying it, first.
We first heard about the wine classification trockenbeerenauslese in our WSET Level 2 class. We knew bottles of this dessert wine tend to be somewhat rare, so we were fairly surprised to find a bottle in a liquor store near us just a few weeks later.
So, what is it, exactly?
Trockenbeerenauslese in German translates to “dry berry selection” and is made from individually picked grapes that have been dried on the vine due to noble rot. In most cases having a fungus grow on your grapes is not a good thing, but proper growth of botrytis cinerea causes grapes to dry out which concentrates the sugars and allows for the production of some supremely wonderful, and sweet, dessert wines.
Hopler's Trockenbeerenauselese was just that.
It is hard not to love a good Gruner Veltliner, and we were fortunate enough to pick up several bottles from Domane Wachau while at Duty Free in Vienna's airport in 2020.
The Kinrberg bottle was an interesting one from the bunch as it had an intense minerality about it that the other bottles simply did not have. This one may be a bit too mineral-forward for some, but if you like this aspect in your white you may really enjoy this bottle!
Rakete from Jutta Ambrositsch has an interesting backstory. First, the grapes are grown inside the city limits of Vienna (we've walked near some vineyards here before- it is very surreal). Second, it is a natural wine. Finally, and perhaps most importantly, is that this particular bottle is a field blend!
Whereas being a field blend on its own is maybe not as exciting, the grapes that go into Rakete (Zweigelt, St. Laurent, Blauburger, Merlot, and “some white grapes”) are all grown side by side in just five rows.
Grapes that are grown, picked, and fermented, quite literally, together? Sign us up.