2019 Weingut Veyder Malberg, Gruner Veltliner, Wachauer Terrassen, Wachau, Austria.
One of Austria’s prime time time producers, Veyder Malberg makes some of the tastiest Gruner and Riesling you’ll ever try and I was thrilled with the few latest releases I got to sample recently, including their awesome Bruck single cru Riesling and this deliciously vibrant Wachauer Terrassen Gruner Veltliner, which is mineral toned and has pristine clarity of form. This exciting Gruner is ultra pale with a crystalline lighter framed palate that revolves around a core of lemon/lime citrus, white peach and quince fruits along with wet stones, bitter almond, verbena, herbal tea and a faint sense of peppery spices. As the wine gets going you also get a yeasty roundness that balances out the refreshing and bright natural acidity to near perfection in glass, making this racy Gruner great as an aperitif and or with a range of lighter cuisine, including shellfish and or soft farm cheeses.
When you think of Austrian greats in the Wachau and Kremstal area, you have Knoll, Alzinger, Hirtzberger, Nigl, Bründlmayer and Veyder Malberg, all of which should be on your bucket list of wineries to try and or visit. Peter Veyder-Malberg, the Spitz based winemaker, uses holistic organic and biodynamic practices on his collection vines that are not too far from the mighty Danube and set on the region’s complex soils, with his Gruner coming from various plots from the Wachau, Hochrain, Weitenberg to the Spitzer Graben area. The Veyder Malberg Terrassen Gruner is sourced from deep loess, gneiss and mica schist soils that helps with the seamless array of flavors and complexity found here in this wine. This Gruner sees a natural and indigenous yeast fermentation in exclusively stainless steel vats, after which the wine then rests on its lees for two years and goes through full malos to enhance the fine texture here. I am always grateful of the chance to sip on Veyder Malberg’s fabulous collection of wines and always am impressed by the stunning purity, and this wine was no exception!
($39 Est.) 93 Points, grapelive