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Höpler Grüner Veltliner 2005

Take a break from the red wine season and cleanse your palate with something green and "groovy" as Grüner Veltliner is tagged. The minimalist in you will appreciate having the slate wiped clean if only for a little while with a white wine perfectly made from the national grape of Austria.

One word: Höpler.  Grüner Veltliner 2005 is Burgenland fruit, vinified in all stainless steel, of course.

Tasting Notes: Appearance: Very pale straw with a slight greenish tint. Aromas: Quince, starfruit, under-ripe apricot and a flinty sort of minerality. Tart, light-bodied and just a bit rounded off on the tongue, the high-key citrus and starfruit flavors are joined by a smidgen of white pepper and mineral, followed by a crisp, dry and palate-cleansing finish.

Outstanding value ($13). Closure: Neocork. Alcohol content: 12.5%.

Food pairing: Fresh Guacamole, Pommes Frites or Deviled Eggs.

Winewaves reviewed the 2004 vintage of Hopler Grüner Veltliner and also named it  "best white wine of the year" for 2006. The 2005 is every bit as good.

Fred Loimer Lois Grüner Veltliner 2005

Sometimes less is more. Austria's national grape, Grüner Veltliner cuts right through to your palate without going to your head.

Thanks to the relatively cool Austrian climate, Lois Grüner Veltliner 2005 is

naturally light in alcohol, weighing in at 11.8%, and it's nearly bone dry. According to Fred Loimer, "There is not one year that’s similar to another. Here in the Kamptal, we always have to adjust to changing conditions." Over half of Loimer's 75 acres are in Grüner Veltliner, which are encouraged to bear fruit low to the ground where scarce heat protects them. Tasting Notes. Color: Very pale straw with a greenish tint. Aromas: Green apple, lemon-lime, hints of cold blossoms and slate. Ultra light and lively on the tongue, the fruit is spritely with hints of white pepper, and the finish is tart, dry and refreshing.

Closure: Screw cap.  Excellent value ($13).

Pairing: Drink it by itself to combat the summer heat wave, or with southern fried you-name-it: chicken, fish, french fries, hush puppies.

Winewaves reviewed the 2004 vintage of Lois in December, 2005.

Höpler Grüner Veltliner 2004

Grüner Veltliner, the national grape of Austria, makes for a naturally light alternative white wine experience. The cool climate of Austria holds back the alcohol potential, and the soil contributes a signature minerality, too.

Christof Höpler, Winemaker, reports the source of Höpler Grüner Veltliner 2004 was Burgenland, on the western banks of Lake Neusiedl. The 75 acres of estate vineyards face southeast, the microclimate is relatively warm and humid, and the soil is chalk, gravel, sand and slate. Vinification was all stainless steel. Tasting Notes.  Color: Light golden straw with a greenish tint. Aromas: Sweet and tart lemon, apricot, grass and minerals. On the tongue, the body is light, juicy, fleshy, tart, and then dry. Starfruit, apricot and minerals carry into the refreshingly light, palate-cleansing finish. Closure: Artificial "neocork". Very nice value ($14). Alcohol content: 12%.

Food pairing: Spicy Fried Grouper Bites appetizer with tartar sauce.  Drink Up!  The 2005 has been released.

Fred Loimer Lois Langenlois Gruner Veltliner 2004

Fred Loimer Lois Gruner Veltliner is the 40-year-old winemaker's most popular wine, produced from the grape best known in Austria. The climate is cool, so the grapes come in at a modest 19-21 brix (sugar level), and the resulting wines are light in alcohol even when dry.

Loimer's vineyard management involves pruning the vines low to the ground to allow the warmth of the soil to radiate back up to the grapes. Lois 2004 was cool fermented and matured on the lees in stainless steel. 90 points. Color: Very pale greenish straw. Aromas: Lightly floral, citrusy limey-lemon, grassy green apples. The mouthfeel is very light, tart, juicy yet crisp. Green apple, starfruit and lemongrass flavors are supported by hints of minerals and white pepper. The finish is crisp, nicely austere and palate cleansing. Closure: Screw cap. Retail: $13. Value: Excellent.

Hirsch Veltliner #1 2003

This is an attractive Estate bottled Gruner Veltliner by Hirsch, from Kamptal, Austria. We liked this tart, dry palate cleansing Gruner Veltliner. It is a pale straw color, and displays apricot fruit and lemon-lime/citrus on the nose, supported by acidity, minerality and slight pepperiness. The finish is clean and tart. The closure is a screw cap. At $12 (Raleigh, NC - Total Wine), here is a very good buy on a fresh flavorful Austrian Gruner Veltliner.

Jurtschitsch GruVe Gruner Veltliner Kamptal 2002

Jurtschitsch is the family, Gruner Veltliner is the grape, and Austria (Kamptal to be more specific) the place.  GruVe is definitely Groovy in this case,

playing the role of something different, a bit playful and wild. The Art label (C.L. Attersee) suggests there is a lot going on in the bottle, which is true. The result in 2002 was a charming round juicy white wine full of fruit and white pepper. This is a well balanced white, clean, crisp, with hints of peach, apricot and lemon, plus that white peppery spice and a bit of mineral. The finish is zippy and lingers. The closure is an artificial composite cork. (A screw cap would be much better.) For $16 (Nashville) We really liked this wine for being refreshingly different, and look forward to the 2003 and 2004 vintages.

Leth Gruner Veltliner Steinagrund Lagenreserve 2003

This complex dry white wine has lots of mineral and a fair amount of pepper in the nose and on the palate, with some limey citrus and apple fruit notes underneath, nicely balanced with refreshing tart acidity. This is a medium-bodied white with good mouthfeel and lingering finish. The closure is a genuine cork. (A screw cap would be better.) Imported by Domaine Select Wine Estates, New York. At $15.99, this is an Austrian white worthy of including in a mixed case of crisp whites.

Lois Gruner Veltliner 2003

This wine has been a very regular item on our wine list since we discovered it last fall. It is vibrant fresh and crisp, with fine essences of apples and peaches, plus lemon-lime tartness, lightly floral, some mineral, very dry, with a long slightly peppery finish. Very refreshing. The closure is a screw cap, making this wine all the more attractive to true white wine lovers. Produced by Fred Loimer, Langenlois, Austria. At $12.99 retail (Nashville), this is a good deal for a fashionable, fun, well crafted, white wine from Austria – “something different”.