2012 Gruner Veltliner Schutt Smaragd

The smoky, faintly fusil-oil yet at the same time sweet set of scents found in Knoll’s 2012 Gruner Veltliner Smaragd Schutt remind me of the pleasantly reductive machine oil character I often associate with young Cabernet Franc. On the palate, this introduces an intriguing savor akin to urchin roe that was also faintly adumbrated in the nose. More typical flavors of white peach, lemon and green bean form a juicy matrix against a background of polish yet leading to a finish of grip and slight graininess (as well as slight heat), with iris root, moss, and ore-like, low-toned mineral notes joining the tobacco and roe for mouthwatering, lasting savor. Plan to follow this ruggedly and energetically impressive exemplar of a proud and profound lineage through at least 2025. Circumstances conspired for the Knolls to harvest a good-sized 2012 crop, all of which was brought in by November 8 (some parcels of Gruner Veltliner being almost as late as the last Riesling). “The Gruner Veltliner kept accumulating sugar,” reports Emmerich Knoll Sr., echoing comments from other growers, “whereas Riesling remained at almost the same level from the mid to late October, and we took a pause from picking it before coming back at the end.” A new cellar facility has made it easier to perpetuate and even to expand the applicable range of this estate’s tradition of bottling their best wines only at summer’s end. Importer: Circo Vino, Tucson, AZ; tel. (417) 732-4200