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Weingut Stift Göttweig, Grüner Veltliner, Messwein

Lower Austria, Austria 2013 (750mL)
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Weingut Stift Göttweig, Grüner Veltliner, Messwein


The history of the august Stift Göttweig Abbey is incredibly rich. The altar was first dedicated in 1072. The Bishop of Passau then granted the abbey, along with its Benedictine monks, its charter in 1083. Last June, I had the opportunity to visit Austria’s great wine houses and this lauded abbey and winery was truly one of the standouts. From the Abbey atop a mountain, perched in the Dunkelsteiner Forest, I could not only see the vineyards of Kremstal below, I gazed across the undulating valley and saw the appellations of Kamptal and Wachau in the distance. It’s a sight that will never leave me. The abbey, a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2001, is a remarkably tranquil place as it is still a working monastery, filled with the faithful who tread lightly and carry with them centuries-old reverence for the land. For a glimpse of this special place, take a look at the link. To take a look at Paul Troger’s incredible fresco from the chapel, which also graces the label, click here.
 
The appellation of Kremstal is located in Niederösterreich, or Lower Austria, and takes its name from the River Krems, which is a tributary of the great Danube that winds its way through the nearby Wachau and Kamptal appellations of the region. Quite similar to its neighboring region of Wachau, Kremstal predominantly produces superb Grüner Veltliner and Riesling. The soils for their Grüner are predominantly loess, which are ancient windblown deposits from the ice age that lend a creamy, rich quality to the varietal.
 
Although the Abbey has been crafting wine for centuries, it has been guided by Fritz Miesbaur, formerly of Domaine Wachau, along with winemaker Joseph Franz Gansberger, since 2006 and this team has taken the wine’s freshness to a whole new level. Under their guidance, the wines undergo longer maceration time and are spontaneously fermented with natural yeasts. Today’s 2013 Grüner Veltliner is a “messwein,” or sacramental wine, and is made in a style similar to the Wachau’s federspiel (12% ABV and dry). This excellent vintage boasts a complimentary dichotomy of creamy mouthfeel coupled with mineral-driven spiciness and bright acid delivering a near perfect example.
 
The 2013 Stift Göttweig “Messwein” has a pale straw core moving to green reflections on the meniscus. The fresh and spicy notes offer aromas of fresh green apple, melon skin, myriad white flowers, cucumber and daikon radish. The palate reveals lime blossoms, shaved daikon radish and underripe green peach pit along with white pepper and crushed stones. This Grüner Veltliner is such a quaffable delight for the summertime, the first glass will disappear in a couple minutes if your friends are anything like mine. So, I suggest having a few bottles in the fridge when you serve it. Simply open 15 minutes before serving at about 45-50 degrees. Since Grüner Veltliner is one of the only varietals that compliment fresh asparagus, try these asparagus crostinis and watch how the two elevate one another. It is the perfect match for a hot summer day.
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Country
Austria
Region
Lower Austria
Sub-Region
AustriaKremstal
Soil
Löss
Farming
Sustainable
Blend
Grüner Veltliner
Alcohol
12.0
OAK
None

Austria

Northeastern Austria

Weinviertel

Considered by most to be the oldest growing zone in Austria, Weinviertel is also, geographically, the largest in the country and covers the vast, northeastern expanse of Lower Austria, stretching from the western border of Slovakia, following the Danube inland and veering up to the southern border of Czechia. Its name, which translates to “wine quarter,” reflects the region’s rich, ancient wine heritage and, according to the Weinviertel DAC website, there are “7,000 years of artifacts to prove it.”

Northeastern Austria

Wachau

Austria’s Wachau appellation is the country’s most acclaimed region. About an hour northwest of Vienna along the Danube River, the vista of the steep, terraced vineyards of the Wachau creates a magnificent landscape akin to a verdant, ancient amphitheater—it is a UNESCO World Heritage site, after all. With rich and unique soils here of löess and gneiss, which lend vivid minerality to the wine.

Eastern Austria

Burgenland

The Burgenland appellation, running along Austria’s border with Hungary southeast of Vienna, has a diverse topography and a mix of soils, with more primary rock and slate at higher locations and dense loams in the rolling hills that extend toward the Pannonian plain.

Southeastern Austria

Steiermark

The region of Styria (Steiermark) is in southeastern Austria which sits near the border with Slovenia. This area is studded with long-extinct volcanoes whose deposits are a key component of the local soils and the vineyards benefit from a classic Austrian push-pull of cool Alpine air and warmer “Pannonian” currents from the east.

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