The 2020 Roland Minkowitsch Gruner Veltliner is a prime example of Austria’s most important and revered white wine. Dry, quite concentrated and full-flavored, fresh and layered, this could easily compete with much more expensive Gruners from the Wachau. That combo of richness and freshness also makes it a fantastic fall white wine. Seriously good stuff here folks!
For fans of Sauvignon Blanc, Chablis, and Chenin, please do yourself a favor and give this a try. I got the opportunity to taste with Martin and Blandine Minkowitsch a few weeks back, and I was in immediate admiration of their passion and commitment to quality. Roland still uses a 200+ year old wooden press to crush his grapes! That TLC is alive and well in this wonderful white wine.
2020 Roland Minkowitsch Gruner Veltliner Weinviertel
“Laced with concentrated notes of citrus, lime zest, white pepper, and mineral.” – Josh Spurling
ORDER NOW in our online store.
Gruner Veltliner is recognized by wine insiders and top sommeliers as a very noble grape variety. One sniff and sip of this, and you will immediately know what I mean. Martin Minkowitsch is the 15th generation of his family to tend the vine, and his Gruner, which rarely makes it out of Austria, is sensational. Deeply aromatic, weighty and concentrated, and laced with aromas and flavors of Bosc pear, green apple, citrus zest, white pepper, ginger, and mineral, there's a lot going on here for not a lot of $$!
As joyful as it smells, it's even more endearing on the palate. Rather full-bodied, almost to the level of Wachau Smaragd, there's wonderful intensity and great acidity that just explodes in your mouth, lengthening the flavors. It is this hallmark high acidity that makes Gruner Veltliner such an incredible food wine and a grape that none other than Wolfgang Puck counts as one of his favorites. I can guarantee you if Wolfgang tasted this one, he’d be jumping with joy!
Like all great wines, there’s a deeper story to that greatness. In this case, it’s the Minkowitsch family. Martin and Blandine live and farm in the village of Mannersdorf, 30 miles south of Vienna on the Slovakian border. They farm organically, their vines are old, they harvest by hand, ferment with native yeasts, and age their wines in old oak foudres. Like I said earlier, they still use an old wooden press from 1820 to crush their grapes! This is intuitive and natural winemaking at its best. Bravo!
This all adds up to a beautiful bottle of white wine that is good with and without food. The weight and body here have me craving scallops, crab, and lobster, but the acidity suggests this would also pair perfectly with flakier fish cooked in an herb and butter sauce. You make the call, but don't miss out on this one.
ORDER NOW in our online store.
Josh Spurling
Owner, Operator, Wine Monger
Table Wine Asheville