WTN:Prager Achleiten Gruener Veltliner Smaragd 2001

The color is starting to darken slightly, as the pale greens are going golden. The nose is unmistakably Achleiten- smoky, mineral oil and potpourri. The fruit is shutting down a little. It reminds me of Roter Veltliner or M-C Muskateller right now. There is a faint orange rind and white peach fruitiness, but at this stage, its all rocks and acid -acid like a railroad spike ( yummy). This is the first bottle of a case of this wine that I bought this weekend with the idea of laying it down for some years. I'm really intrigued by the 'aged Bourgogne Blanc' aspect of GV. I have a few bottles of 1970's GV lying down, but haven't ventured into one yet. General quality not being as high back then as it has been since the late 80's (in Austria); I'm really looking forward to my own educational experiment. I'll post another TN in a few years.
13% vol. $25




Prost!
Bill

... but at this stage, its all rocks and acid -acid like a railroad spike ( yummy). ....I have a few bottles of 1970's GV lying down, but haven't ventured into one yet. General quality not being as high back then as it has been since the late 80's (in Austria); I'm really looking forward to my own educational experiment. I'll post another TN in a few years.
13% vol. $25

Sounds like my sort of wine. I'll have to get in touch with Rare-wines.com to see if they have any - they ship to Fin and have excellent Austrians. But I've never seen any older ones there. Where did you manage to find them?

-O-

Thanks Bill, the Austrian wine selection is really growing up here and fair prices too. Many looking at whats available!

But I've never seen any older ones there. Where did you manage to find them?

-O-

Otto,

I've purchased them at Weingueter in Austria. Some of the better vintages are very scarce and most of the smaller producers have none to sell. I've been fortunate to find a few stateside when an importer gets lucky and I receive word. The problem is that quality wine production was not a major priority in Austria between the WWII and the unpleasant scandal of the early 1980s (not much has probably survived. If it has, what is the condition?) Of course I'm generalizing, but the order of the day was mixed-agriculture farms with low-density plantings, underripe berries, Lenz Moser training, high yields and boring wine. It actually took a scandal to break the routine and pump some ferocity into the souls of winemakers. I think it's safe to say, that with the STUNNING current state of Austrian wine, their souls are plenty ferocious. All of that said, check with some Viennese wine shops. Certainly they would know how to procure some older GV. Viel Glueck!



Prost!
Bill