One thing we’ve started to notice in the “climate change era” is that the white wines of Austria’s Danube River Valley are getting bigger. They’re riper and more powerful than ever before, which is not a bad thing, but for those of us who crave the diamond-cut precision of old school Austrian Grüner Veltliner, it’s not always so easy to find one with enough “cut” to scratch that itch. It may help that this ’22 from Josef Fischer hails from vineyards on the south bank of the Danube, where sun exposures are a little less direct and ambient temperature perhaps a little cooler. This ’22 wowed us with its crisp, electric character and lifted aromatics—it’s a throwback to the chiseled Grüners of yore, and it’s a great value to boot. A win-win!
The Josef Fischer estate vineyards are clustered mostly in the village of Rossatz, which is positioned near a sharp bend in the Danube at the eastern end of the Wachau DAC. Located directly across the river from the well-known village of Dürnstein, Rossatz has a more gently pitched landscape than what’s found on the Danube’s “north” bank; rather than face directly south and tilt toward the sun like solar panels, the vineyards of Rossatz are mostly oriented toward the north. The soils are a diverse assortment of sandy loams, gravels, and loess (wind-blown silt), which is the mix typically found in lower-lying sites closer to the river.
Fifth-generation “Joe” Fischer (who goes by that name to differentiate himself from his father, also named Josef) now runs a wine estate that dates to 1898. He farms 11 hectares of Grüner Veltliner and Riesling from an assortment of top sites in Rossatz, adhering to strict organic principles while doing so. Today’s bottling is Fischer’s “village-level” wine from assorted parcels in Rossatz, with grapes harvested at a Federspiel level of ripeness (this is a middle tier of ripeness according to the Wachau Producers’ Association, translating to a wine between 11.5%-12.5% a.b.v.). Spontaneous, small-lot fermentations are carried out in stainless steel tanks, after which the wines are aged briefly in tank and bottle before release.
A mouthwatering push-pull of green fruits, shards of rock, wildflowers, and citrusy freshness awaits you when you pour this crystalline, garden-fresh ’22. In the glass, it’s a bright yellow gold with silver and green reflections, with an expressive nose of green apple, lime pith, white grapefruit, peach, tarragon, white pepper, and radish. These sensations are confirmed on the medium-bodied palate, which leaves a lasting impact after a wave of freshness crashes ashore and ignites the salivary response. This is ready to pop and pour right now with salads, seafood, or as an apéritif. Try this with a light meal of pan-fried weisswurst or boudin blanc served with some arugula or dandelion greens and you’ve got your Monday night dinner won.
