Moric Sankt Georgen Grüner Veltliner 2021

Sankt Georgen, a village belonging to Eisenstadt in northern Burgenland, nestles against the slopes of the Leithagebirge, west of Lake Neusiedl. The vines occupy cool sites here, on stony limestone and schist soils that preserve the tension and brightness of Grüner Veltliner. The village name, refused on the label for a time by the authorities, earned the cuvée its tongue-in-cheek subtitle, Serious Wine from a Gorgeous Place.

The grapes come from old vines and are vinified with a minimalist approach. Fermentation takes place spontaneously, with native yeasts, then the wine is aged on the lees in 500-litre casks, before bottling without heavy filtration. This patient approach produces a complex white, built for ageing.

This wine reveals notes of yellow apple, crisp pear, lemon zest, plum, meadow herbs, white pepper, green apple and flint. The palate, with its fresh structure and fine texture, is both dense and lively. The long, precise finish combines herbal spice and lingering freshness.

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.