WTN: 2006 Domäne Wachau Federspiel Grüner Veltliner Loibenberg

Picked up another of these Austrian gems recently at Vintages. Bottled under screwcap; 12.5% alc./vol. Bright, crystal-clear brassy-straw colour with a scintillating hue and plenty of spritz inside the glass after pouring. Crisp and minerally green-apple and pineapple nose with lively acidity and plenty of minerality. A fine texture on the entry; vigorous, electrifying acidity and a completely dry, full-on-minerals mid-palate. And then the thought hits me: Champagne in a table-wine iteration... Excellent structure and presence; fully dry yet balanced and substantive. The aromatics are gentle and subdued rather than opulent or forward in any way. A fine GV that will work in any quality-white-wine situation.

Paul, 2006 is the first true "revival" vintage of Freie Weingärtner after a streak of more or less difficult years (with a less-than perfect management), and their vineyard designated Federspiels (and all Smaragds) are brillant examples.

Freie Weingärtner just sent me two recently bottled wines, their top of 2006: Grüner Veltliner and Riesling, both Smaragd from the Kellerberg vineyard. (Not yet tasted, I'm afraid )

Thanks Michael. I always love to get feedback from folks like yourself who are right there and know the Austrian wine scene well.

I think that all wine lovers have much to be thankful for these days. Austrian wines are increasingly recognized for their quality and innate food-friendliness. Personally I love GV for its uniqueness, although I also enjoy the Rieslings and quality Austrian reds (except for Lenz Moser's, which we seem to see a lot of here).

Paul,

thank you for your kind words. As to Lenz Moser, I have been there last week: tasting, talking and typing into the computer for five hours for what will be a (paid) three-page story in "Vinaria".

As from what I have tasted, I'd really stick to Lenz Moser's whites. In total they will sell 18m bottles this year (1.5m cases), and it is no secret that middle class Austrian wines, while there are exceptional values in white, this is much less true for red.

OK, they have an exceptional red more or less on an experimental scale (forgot the name, but it's not produced in commercial quantities anyhow), so they know how to do it, but simply do not get enough fruit of this quality for bottling commercial quantities.