2023 Grüner Veltliner, Hinter der Burg, Prager, Wachau, Austria
Critics reviews
Pale green-yellow with silver reflections. Delicately underlain with lime zest, fine white apple fruit, and a hint of meadow herbs. Juicy, elegant, green apple, racy structure, mineral-salty finish, a lively food companion.
Peter Moser, Falstaff.com (July 2024)
The 2023 Grüner Veltliner Hiner der Burg was picked right behind Weissenkirchen castle on eroded and old Alpine deposits. It opens vividly with freshly cut green pear. The palate is milder and rounder than this fresh nose suggests. The body is fluid, slender, and flowing, with a rounded texture and more green pear-peel edges. (Dry).
Drink 2024 - 2030
Anne Krebiehl MW, Vinous.com (July 2024)
About this WINE
Weingut Prager
Weingut Prager is run by Toni Bodenstein, son-in-law of Franz Prager and one of the most celebrated winemakers in Austria today. Toni has run the estate for a number of years now and is the foremost authority in the region on the hugely diverse microclimates across the valley. Earnest but very likeable, he has made a minute geological study of this extraordinary terroir. Southfacing and running down to the Danube, his Achleiten vineyard yields both Grüner Veltliner and Riesling from the top Smaragd classification.
In short the wines are incredibly rich but also fresh and crisp. The Grüner Veltliner has a black pepper facet and a steely backbone to frame its feminine charms; the Riesling is farmed from 24 terraces, each one contributing a rich nuance. From the high ground comes the Wachstum Bodenstein Riesling, an undeniably complex beast, perfumed and exotic yet seriously dry and steely; an awakening enigma. With flavours running the gamut and scents of great sensibility, these wines are united by an incredible purity.
Wachau
The sweeping, steep terraces of the Wachau, in Lower Austria, on the northern banks of the Danube, an hour’s drive west from Vienna, are home to Austria’s greatest dry white wines.
Here Riesling and Grüner Veltliner excel in producing wines of startling purity and pristine intensity. The climate changes slightly to produce the warmer, richer wines around Dürnstein and Loiben, to steely yet opulent wines around Spitz.
Recommended Producers
Toni Bodenstein of Weingut Prager epitomises the former, whilst Franz and Irmgard Hirtzberger’s vineyards are the ultimate expression of the latter. The region uses a unique system of classification to indicate the level of ripeness at harvest. Steinfeder is the lightest, with an alcohol of around 10%, then Federspiel, which must not exceed 12% and finally Smaragd, named after an emerald green lizard found in the vineyards, which are assertive, late-harvested wines, but fermented to dryness.
Grüner Veltliner
Grüner Veltliner is Austria's most famous grape variety. It is indigenous to Austria and is grown extensively in every Austrian wine region with the exception of Steiermark. It constitutes 36% of all vineyard plantings with the best wines coming from the north-east of the country, particularly regions such as the Wachau, Kamptal and Kremstal which border the Danube river.
Grüner Veltliner is a late ripening variety that typically produces wines that are pale green in colour and display fruit notes of grapefruits, limes, pears, and sometimes hints of white pepper. They normally possess a steely backbone of acidity which enables the best bottles to age gracefully. The grape's natural acidity accompanied by its restrained and understated fruit characters makes its wines ideal partners for food. A marvellous alternative to the more mainstream white grape varieties.
When is a wine ready to drink?
We provide drinking windows for all our wines. Alongside the drinking windows there is a bottle icon and a maturity stage. Bear in mind that the best time to drink a wine does also depend on your taste.
Not ready
These wines are very young. Whilst they're likely to have lots of intense flavours, their acidity or tannins may make them feel austere. Although it isn't "wrong" to drink these wines now, you are likely to miss out on a lot of complexity by not waiting for them to mature.
Ready - youthful
These wines are likely to have plenty of fruit flavours still and, for red wines, the tannins may well be quite noticeable. For those who prefer younger, fruitier wines, or if serving alongside a robust meal, these will be very enjoyable. If you choose to hold onto these wines, the fruit flavours will evolve into more savoury complexity.
Ready - at best
These wines are likely to have a beautiful balance of fruit, spice and savoury flavours. The acidity and tannins will have softened somewhat, and the wines will show plenty of complexity. For many, this is seen as the ideal time to drink and enjoy these wines. If you choose to hold onto these wines, they will become more savoury but not necessarily more complex.
Ready - mature
These wines are likely to have plenty of complexity, but the fruit flavours will have been almost completely replaced by savoury and spice notes. These wines may have a beautiful texture at this stage of maturity. There is lots to enjoy when drinking wines at this stage. Most of these wines will hold in this window for a few years, though at the very end of this drinking window, wines start to lose complexity and decline.
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Description
Considering the age of the vines, which are nearly 70 years old, and the unique quality of the gravel-rich terroir, this cuvée from Tony Bodenstein offers extraordinary value. There is the rich, vibrant fruit one would expect from a quality Grüner Veltliner. The vines and terroir add impressive power in the concentration of fruit and a deliciously refreshing crispness of structure, leading to a perfectly balanced finish. It will be immensely satisfying to enjoy in its youth but has the quality and concentration to allow it to age to 2035.
David Jones, Account Manager, Berry Bros. & Rudd
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