Gru-Vee Grüner Veltliners

Grüner veltliner is the most widely planted vine in Austria and produces a dry, white, spicy wine. Here are 12 of the best

by Robert Parker

Fashionable with the country's sommeliers and esoteric-wine lovers is a white grape called grüner veltliner, which can produce marvelous wines in specific viticultural areas of Austria. Grüner veltliner—often shortened to "gru vee"—provides a riesling-like citric character, zesty acidity, and often an underlying note of fresh garden greens along with copious fruit and striking minerality. At its finest, it tastes dry, and possesses much more body than expected. While it can age reasonably well, most grüner veltliners are best consumed during their first five to six years. David Schildknecht is probably the world's leading authority on the wines of Austria, and here are some of his picks among recent releases of wines made from this grape.

87 points
Salomon-Undhof 2006 Grüner Veltliner Hochterrassen

The 2006 Grüner Veltliner Hochterrassen offers juicy satisfaction, with lentil, lime, and sweet florality. While close to 13% alcohol is higher than the normal target for this cuvée, it results in a glossy, rich mouthfeel and nut-oil undertones; at the same time there is still plenty of clarity and refreshment in the subtly saline and peppery finish. $18

87 points
Willi Bründlmayer 2006 Grüner Veltliner Berg Vogelsang

Bründlmayer's 2006 Grüner Veltliner Berg Vogelsang, coming from his westernmost and coolest site for this grape, preserves a deliciously crisp, cress-like aroma and bite that are missing from most 2006s. Analytically, the acids are rather low here (though not nearly so low as in 2003, Bründlmayer points out) but the wine still offers lift and juicy refreshment of ripe, herb-tinged melon in its finish, along with clarity and floral nuance. Experience strongly suggests that this will be even better in a couple of years and enjoyable for three to five years. $25

88 points
Alzinger 2006 Grüner Veltliner Federspiel Mühlpoint

Leo Alzinger said he had hoped to pick his 2006 Grüner Veltliner Federspiel Mühlpoint a week earlier but the flavors were not ripe enough, so the result sits right on the edge of Smaragd. Effusively floral, this retains a cool, fresh-fruited, herbal and saline mineral streak as well as genuine delicacy for all of its analytic ripeness. A touch of bitterness extends the finish while supplying a sense of cut. $28

88 points
Emmerich Knoll 2006 Grüner Veltliner Federspiel Kreutles

The Knolls' 2006 Grüner Veltliner Federspiel Kreutles smells of lentil and herbs, then offers a juicy, mouthful of melon tinged with rhubarb, honey, and herbs. This softly textured grüner veltliner presents a coolly refreshing yet welcoming personality that promises to satisfy over the next several years. $29

89 points
Prager 2006 Grüner Veltliner Federspiel Hinter der Burg

This grüner veltliner in finished alcohol is already on the cusp of Smaragd. Green tea and snap pea waft from the glass. Beet root and snap pea are tinged with iodine on a glossy, ester-filled palate, but the wine finishes with refinement and a sense of elegance, not to mention minerality. $30

89 points
Schloss Gobelsburg 2006 Grüner Veltliner Gobelsburger

This 2006 Grüner Veltliner Gobelsburger offers extraordinary value. Pear, rhubarb, and brown spices in the nose signal a riper expression of grüner veltliner than is usual in this wine. Subtly silky in texture, exuberantly fruit-filled, and sprinkled with cracked pepper, this generous "intro level" grüner veltliner finishes with lip-smacking panache. The problem in 2006 was getting enough high-quality fruit for this négociant bottling, in a vintage with poor flowering and challenging ripening conditions. $18