2020 Alzinger Gruner Veltliner ‘Loibenberg’ Smaragd Wachau

Leo Alzinger Sr. inherited the vineyards in the 1970’s from his family and was selling the grapes to other producers until the day he finally realised he could make it better. And aren’t we lucky he did! We love the intensity and complexity that these wines acquire. At Alzinger the hard work is done in the vineyards, everything is done by hand, with techniques that are sustainably respecting nature. Necessary interventions such as gentle pruning, enhancing soil life and biodiversity, and adapting to changes in the weather help foster the health and growth of the vines. Working by hand with grapes helps them determine the ideal time to harvest them in order to establish a balance of acidity, body and alcohol. Why do we like it? This one is a Smaragd which means that the picking time of the fruit is quite late, when the water has been consumed by the heat of the sun and there’s full ripeness. As the wines are fermented until dry, they have a minimum of 12.5% of ABV, and depending on the year may even have some sweetness. In this case, the wine is dry, warm, round, almost a little fatty and oily but it preserves an incredible racy acidity and a long mineral palate. This wine has aromas of baked apple, quince and a touch of ginger and marmalade, it also shows a strong back bone of acidity that indeed balances the wine. On the palate there is a fine smoky character and almost a sense of saltiness too.   Grape            Gruner Veltliner Country        Austria                                       Region          Wachau Vintage         2020