2012 Gruner Veltliner Grub

From a site promisingly situated beneath the intersection of Heiligenstein and Gaisberg, but featuring more loess and gravel than it does eroded Urgestein from above, the Moosbrugger’s 2012 Gruner Veltliner Grub easily redeems that promise. This site is prone to botrytis, he notes, but this year was utterly rot-free. Transparency of juicy white peach to nutty piquancy, herbal pungency and myriad stony and crystalline nuances characterize this polished and expansive yet buoyant bottling, whose sense of lift continues through a long, complexly layered finish. This is a wine that suggests Gruner Veltliner is second only to Riesling in its proclivity to deliver nuances that can only be described with mineral vocabulary. Subtle salinity, hints of iodine along with crustacean shell reduction lead to a veritable milking of the salivary glands. I would anticipate this continuing to captivate through at least 2025. Largely due to May frost, Michael Moosbrugger experienced in 2012 the smallest harvest since he took over Schloss Gobelsburg (and debuted as a vintner) in 1996. Despite this small crop and largely balmy conditions, harvest still stretched until the tenth of November. “One reason for that,” he admits, “is the red wines, because we always begin with them to avoid over-ripeness or danger of rot, and for red wine you have to harvest at precisely the right time, especially with St. Laurent” rather than enjoying the flexibility offered by Gruner Veltliner and Riesling. In the event, the whites here this year seldom significantly exceeded 13% in alcohol. Importer: Terry Theise Estate Selections, imported by Michael Skurnik Wines, Inc., Syosset, NY; tel. (516) 677-9300