Description
Geyerhof, “Rosensteig” Grüner Veltliner
It really is a privilege to offer a wine from a producer like Geyerhof: This property is as much a monument as it is a winery, its vineyards and cellars alike imbued with more than 400 years of winemaking history.
Four. Hundred. Years. That’s how long proprietor Ilse Maier’s mother’s family has resided in the hilltop village of Oberfucha, and at least how long the surrounding vineyards have produced the Kremstal’s signature grape, Grüner Veltliner. These days, Ilse and her family, including her son, Josef, do that history proud with a lineup of organically farmed, impeccably crafted wines—with their “Rosensteig” Grüner Veltliner serving as the deeply impressive, über-consistent flagship. It’s a single-vineyard wine, grown in the Kremstal’s signature loess soils by one of Austria’s all-time great interpreters of Grüner Veltliner (more than 60% of Geyerhof’s vineyards are planted to it). All of this for just $30—that will never cease to amaze and delight me. There is no greater value-for-dollar to be found anywhere.
Let’s go back to that 400-year history for a second: The Geyerhof winery is housed in a 16th-century brick edifice, with hand-dug stone cellars underneath that date back even further. Among their underground caves is one they call the “French cellar,” in which Napoleon was said to have stowed his wine rations during a battle in nearby Wagram. Ilse Maier joined her father in these magnificent cellars in the mid-1980s after studying agriculture in Vienna, and now her own son, Josef, is following in her footsteps. Their 20 hectares of vineyards are located on the hillsides surrounding the winery, enjoying the classic Kremstal push-pull of cool air from the Alps and warm, dry currents from the Pannonian plain, to the east.
An early pioneer of organic viticulture in Austria, Ilse has not only worked “preserving nature and utilizing the vitality of the soil” in her vineyards, she has sought to educate fellow winemakers on the benefits of creating a sound ecosystem with her publications. As such, they have held organic certification for over 30 years. Today’s “Rosensteig” bottling—a single vineyard within the town of Hollenburg—is, like a non-vintage bottling at a Champagne house, a calling card. Following a manual harvest, the Grüner is gently pressed with deliberate oxygen exposure to add complexity to the soon-to-be wine’s flavor profile (just wait until you try it!). After fermentation and long lees contact in large stainless steel vessels, the wine is bottled unfined.
The result is a stunning, beautifully textured white that showcases every ounce of Grüner’s spicy/savory delights. The 2019 “Rosensteig” displays a deep straw-yellow core with silver and vibrant green hues at the rim. The nose explodes with enticing notes of Key lime, lemon blossoms, green and yellow apples, delicate white flowers, honeysuckle, white pepper, snap peas, crushed rocks, and a touch of freshly picked arugula. The palate impresses with a medium body that has layers and layers of classic savory Grüner character. This is so much more than a typical refreshing, laser-beam Grüner—it carries itself impressively well with piquant intensity and explosions of high-toned, mouthwatering citrus. It finishes with great brightness and energy, all while alluding to intense, savory complexities that will further develop in the coming years. Serve in all-purpose stems around 50 degrees and match it with a close companion: pork schnitzel and winter coleslaw—a tangy, lip-smacking side dish that will amplify this already authentic pairing. Cheers!
