Weingut Hirsch’s Grüner Veltliner “Kammern” doesn’t need any kind of fancy lead-in. Most Austrian wine aficionados probably aren’t even reading this introduction, they’re just zooming straight to the “Add To Cart” button–because this is a bottle of Grüner produced by one of the undeniable masters of the variety, hailing from not one but four of the best sites in all of Austria. It’s everything we love about Grüner–the herbaceous savor, the peppery kick, the deep refreshment–with an added level of complexity, refinement, and terroir transparency. Typically when we speak of Grüner and its relative value, we mean it’s priced easy enough to drink everyday. But “Kammern” represents the other type of value, wherein seriously elite-level juice can be had for a decidedly non-elite price. Think of it as the Austrian equivalent to the affordable Bourgogne Blanc we all know the producer has snuck some 1er Cru fruit into. You’re going to want to have plenty of Hirsch’s “Kammern” on hand, delicious as it is now and given the long life ahead of it. Stock up!
Just 35 miles west of Vienna sits the Kamptal valley. It’s one of Austria’s three major appellations alongside the Kremstal and the Wachau. While Riesling also grows in all three valleys, Kammern is the key village to know for great Grüner here. Kammern is where you’ll find the vineyards Renner, Grub, Lamm, and Gaisberg, sites that are essentially Grand Crus for Grüner Veltliner. Most producers hang their hats on one or two single-vineyard bottlings from these vineyards. Hirsch, though, in an effort to capture the essence of Kammern, actually uses his younger vines in all four sites to make today’s wine. The vineyards’ rich loess soils and their extreme diurnal temperature swings produce Grüner in which the variety’s signature spice is amped up and wrapped in a richer texture than you find in more everyday bottlings. The sheer pedigree crammed into Hirsch’s humble “Kammern” is insane, and goes a long way toward explaining just how it gets to be so special.
For most folks familiar with the Austrian wine scene, Weingut Hirsch needs little introduction. The Hirsh family have farmed these hillside vineyards since the late 19th century, but it’s been under Johannes Hirsch that the winery has really gained international fame. He’s an undeniable pioneer in Austria, being one of the first to adopt organic then biodynamic principles, and literally the first to switch entirely to Stelvin closures. Johannes’ wines are all about transparency and precision. He works only with Grüner and Riesling, but even then is pretty nonchalant about variety. He points out that until the late 20th century, no one would have even known what grapes are in a given bottling. Instead, the wine would’ve just carried the village or vineyard name. Johannes lets his terroir speak first and foremost, and it comes through loud and clear in today’s “Kammern.”
As mentioned, “Kammern” hails from the Kamptal’s four most important Grüner sites. The fruit is handpicked, settled, and then fermented spontaneously at cool temperatures in stainless. The finished wine then spends about six months on lees before bottling. It pours a vivid silver with hints of yellow and green, the slightest trace of trapped carbonation evident. On the nose, “Kammern” is like a masterclass in Grüner aromatics, a riot of fresh-cut green apple, white peach, parsley, chervil, thyme, radishes, white pepper, and mossy soil. There’s a touch more ripeness to the fruit here than you see in entry-level versions of the variety, with some pulverized chalk tones. The palate is vivacious and refreshing to be sure, but there’s also a sense of textural depth, a hint of creaminess that you only find in the best Grüner. Texturally, it’s not far off from white Burgundy. The finish is extremely long, laden with salty rocks. It’s utterly delicious now, but we’ve also been lucky enough to experience older Hirsch bottlings, and strongly encourage grabbing a few bottles to lay down and watch them evolve.
