Huber Grüner Veltliner Eiswein 2023

The Huber - Grüner Veltliner Eiswein comes from the Traisental, in Lower Austria, near Reichersdorf. The grapes come from the Engelreich and Berg slopes, at around 350 metres above sea level, on limestone soils. The contrast between cool Alpine nights and warm Pannonian days, followed by the early frosts of winter, makes it possible to produce this rare and demanding ice wine.

The grapes, grown organically, were harvested on 4 December 2023 at temperatures below -7 °C. The thick skin of Grüner Veltliner allows the berries to remain intact on the vine for a long time. Pressed while frozen, they yield a highly concentrated juice, vinified at low temperature and then aged for six months in stainless-steel tanks to preserve the purity of the fruit.

This wine reveals notes of blossom honey, fig, greengage, candied apricot, quince, orange peel, sweet spices and white pepper. The palate is supple and elegant, with well-integrated sweetness. The whole is pure, concentrated and juicy, carried by the freshness of the Traisen valley.

Austrian viticulture has made enormous strides in wine quality over the past decade. Today, Austrian winemakers no longer produce cheap wines for mass consumption, but rather refined and complex wines. Austria produces 65% white wines. From a general perspective, Austrian wines are more powerful and richer than those of their German neighbor. The major and most widely planted national grape variety is Grüner Veltliner (an indigenous white grape). Red wine production continues to increase in volume, intensity, and quality. In Burgenland, in particular, producers are making the most of a unique blend of local grape varieties (Blaufränkisch, Saint-Laurent, Zweigelt) and French varieties (Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, and Pinot Noir). Austria's climate is primarily continental, with cold winters and hot summers. The country is influenced by four main weather patterns. To the east, continental influences from Pannonia; to the west, Atlantic influences as well as cold winds from the north; and to the south, Mediterranean influences. The Danube, meandering languidly through numerous vineyards, brings a variety of microclimates to the vines.