Placeholder Image

Kemetner, “Ried Karl” Grüner Veltliner

Kamptal, Austria 1992 (750mL)
$49.00
/
Your cart is empty.
  • In stock, ready to ship
  • Inventory on the way
Fruit
Earth
Body
Tannin
Acid
Alcohol

Kemetner, “Ried Karl” Grüner Veltliner

Why is my passion for wine unrelenting? Because Kemetner, a 379-year-old estate that I only just discovered, has secretly unveiled a tiny trove of never-before-seen 1992 Grüner Veltliner. I’ve had decades-old gems from all-time Hall of Famers Pichler, Nikolaihof, Prager, Knoll, Brundlmayer—you name it—but there’s something especially exciting about a perfectly preserved treasure from a Kamptal estate that only few have seen, let alone tasted. 
Think about that for a moment: an 11th-generation, family-run winery that’s largely avoided the public eye for centuries, and here they are today revealing an exquisite, remarkably vivid Grüner Veltliner that is looking Father Time square in the eyes. Coming from the ried (single vineyard) “Karl”—a site known for producing ethereal, long-lived wines—this nearly 30-year-old gem transformed right in front of my eyes after the cork was pulled. Within minutes, the legendary properties of mature Grüner were on full display: texturally piquant fruits, enlivening acidity, and breathtaking minerality. Of course, we have Certified Organic farming, a skilled touch in the winery, and perfect provenance to thank for that. A long-lived, world-class wine directly from the cellar for under $50? A new year isn’t the only thing worth celebrating! Please note: quantities are excruciatingly low and there aren’t any more bottles on the horizon. 
The Kemetner family traces its winemaking history back to Nicolaus and Susanna in 1641. Their son, Johannes, represented the second generation and is remembered by a short log in the family records: “Vinitor (vintner) of Etsdorf.” Nine generations followed, and today the estate is run by Leopold & Margit, who have worked tirelessly to achieve a Certified Organic status for all their vineyard holdings. One more thing—that circular red emblem you see on the front label is an homage to a recently discovered market bill from 1741 stamped with their family seal. As a nod to preserving tradition and heritage, it is now displayed on all their labels.

Today’s Grüner comes entirely from “Ried Karl,” a mostly terraced, 1,000-foot-high site flanked and protected by mountainous and forested terrain. Here, their mature vines enjoy rich soils that consist of sandy loam and finely crushed stones. All farming is done manually, chemicals are entirely eschewed, and the soils are fertilized with organic composts. Come harvest, the grapes are plucked by hand and gently pressed in the winery. The juice undergoes a slow, cool fermentation on ambient yeasts and a brief aging period on raw lees occurs in stainless steel. Sulfur additions are kept at a minimum. As for this 1992, the wine was quickly bottled in 1993 and then aged, without disturbance, for nearly 27 years—it arrived in America just weeks ago!

I’m guessing the large majority of subscribers haven’t experienced a Grüner older than 5-7 years—which is quite all right, because the market is built for youthful drinking. Still, old bottlings can be tracked down with a bit of work, and when you find one with this amount of age, you’re in for an indelible sensory experience and a life-altering surprise. First of all, it’d be impossible for me to call today’s Grüner a 28-year-old wine. It pours a radiant straw-yellow with faint hints of silver-green that belies its maturity. After a flash decant or allowing the wine to rest in your glass for 10-15 minutes, the nose reveals breathtaking vivacity with high-toned notes of white peach, mango peel, underripe pineapple, lemon pith, Kaffir lime, ginger, watercress, raw root vegetables, sweet spices, and crushed rock, all of which is interlaced with delicate notes of honey/honeysuckle. The palate is medium-bodied, remarkably fresh, and oozing with brilliant tension that triggers a mouth-watering finish. Kemetner’s 1992 “Ried Karl” is simply an extraordinary Austrian gem that so vividly showcases the aging power of world-class Grüner Veltliner. Even more, this is still brimming with life and should remain in a perfect drinking window over the next five years. Serve in all-purpose stems around 50-55 degrees and track each bottle over several hours. Enjoy!!
Placeholder Image
Country
Austria
Region
Kamptal
Sub-Region
AustriaKarl Vineyard
Soil
Sandy Loam w/ Crushed Stones
Farming
Organic
Blend
Grüner Veltliner 100%
Alcohol
13.0
TEMP.
50-55
Glassware
All-Purpose
Drinking
Now-2022+
Decanting
Optional
Pairing
Grilled Chicken & Peach Salad

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.

Others We Love