Martin Mittelbach is a master of Gruner Veltliner, Austria's most important grape. He is the 5th generation of his family to tend vines and make wines at this highly-regarded Wachau estate, and his T26 Gruner Veltliner is always excellent.
What's up with the T26 name? Several years back, importer Klaus Wittauer and Martin were tasting through several tanks of recently-fermented Gruner. When Klaus got to tank #26, he was so impressed with the wine that he yelled out, "I'll take the whole tank!"
The name has stuck, and this is year in and year out one of the top Wachau Gruner values we stock.
2023 Tegernseerhof 'T26' Gruner Veltliner Federspiel
Why should you buy it?
- It's deliciously dry, vibrant, and concentrated. Displaying intense and classic notes of stone fruit, ripe citrus, lemon zest, herb, white pepper, and mineral, this is what Gruner Veltliner should smell and taste like!
- If you love Sauvignon Blanc, give this a try. The wine's brisk texture along with its herbal and mineral notes reminds me a bit of French Sauvignon Blanc, but the white pepper notes give Gruner its own distinct personality.
- This plot of land has grown grapes for over 8 centuries! That's right, the original facilities were built in 1176 by the Benedictine community of the Tegernsee Abbey. For centuries, the abbey was where the Bavarian monastery produced its wine.
With spring just around the corner, this makes for a wonderful sunny day white wine to enjoy on the porch. It also works incredibly with green vegetables that can be difficult to pair with wine -- think asparagus, green peas, and artichokes.
