2017 Weingut Ingrid Groiss, Riesling, Braitenpuechtorff, Niederosterreich, Weinviertel DAC, Austria.
Ingrid Groiss, who has established herself as one of Austria’s newest stars, is based North of Vienna, in the Weinviertel region, which is a historic region that is really seeing a modern revival with some thrilling and unique wines, like this 2017 dry style Braitenpuechtorff Riesling that flows with crystalline purity across the medium bodied palate. Groiss’ hometown of Breitenwaida is host to an impressive terroir with loess, sand and gravel soils and there’s plenty transmitted into her wines, as is the case here with a fine loamy stony quality and mineral tones to go with the wine’s lightness and crisp nature. The mouth shows lime, green apple, white peach and tart pomelo fruits along with bitter almond, chamomile and white peppery spices, everything is precise and sharply focused here, but the Groiss Riesling has gained a seamless roundness and nobility that makes it just that much more compelling. Ingrid has been in charge of her family’s vines and making her own wines since 2012, and quickly became a star in the Weinviertel DAC region, the oldest in Austria, putting out a stellar series wines that are now considered among the best in the country with an expressive terroir influence and a seductive raw transparency.
While I love this Riesling, as well as Ingrid’s Gruner Veltliner, her signature wine is her amazing Gemischter Satz field blend white made from Chardonnay, Frühroter Veltliner, Grauburgunder, Grauer Vöslauer, Grüner Veltliner, Hietl Rote, Müller Thurgau, Neuberger, Pinot Blanc, Riesling, Roter Veltliner, Rotgipfler, Sämling, Silberweisse, Welchriesling, Wiesse Vöslauer, Zierfandler, all from a single parcel planted by her grandmother in Braitenpuechtorff, north of Vienna in Austria’s Weinviertel region not far from the Czech border. Made by the hands of this talented young winemaker, these 50 year old vines produce one of the world’s great traditional crisply focused and bone dry white wines, totally unique and totally terroir driven with depth and lively mineral character. The vibrant pale golden hued Gemischter Satz, with 17 different varietals co-fermented, is one of my favorites in the Groiss lineup and I wish I could find it every vintage, but when I can’t I make do with her single varietal offerings, especially this bright and acid driven Riesling. For her Riesling, the grapes were gently pressed without the stems, and saw12 hours of maceration on skins, all fermented with vineyard native yeasts in stainless steel, then it was aged on full lees for 7 months before bottling. I highly recommend these Grioss wines and especially this one, which is drinking extremely well now. If you get a chance to get the mentioned Groiss Gemischter Satz, the absolutely delicious co-fermented field blend, don’t pass it up!
($30 Est.) 92 Points, grapelive