The elegant ones are coming

In Focus: Grüner Veltliner

19 January, 2023

of Marcus Hofschuster in Tasting

Today, is undoubtedly the Austrian white wine grape variety par excellence. This was not always the case. The triumphant advance of the old cross between and the St. Georgen variety, which was only discovered and named in 2000, only began after the end of the Second World War; today occupies almost exactly one third of Austria's total vineyard area.

There are many reasons for its success. Grüner Veltliner is not only high-yielding, but also relatively easy to care for and quite flexible when it comes to location. The results are correspondingly diverse: from a simple, drinkable everyday beverage to a complex top wine capable of development, everything can be found. The wines can be thin or fat and ponderous, light and drinkable, elegant and taut or powerful to mighty, bone dry and more and more often a little sweet. High-class noble sweetnesses are rare, but they do exist.

One of the great advantages of the Veltliner is that even simpler and inexpensive wines can give great pleasure. The number of well-made everyday wines with animating fruit and unobtrusive spiciness is hardly manageable.

The higher the quality of the wines, the more the production is divided roughly into two styles: one focuses on elegance, finesse and moderate alcohol, the other on power and fullness, whereby a distinction can be made here between wines that remain tart and firm and still offer finesse and those that focus on melting, warmth, luscious fruit and, increasingly, a certain sweetness. Whether intentional or not, today's particularly powerful wines often contain a few grams of residual sugar, which can usually be clearly tasted in this context. One glass often makes you thoroughly full.

So it is no wonder that the fraction of elegant top Veltliners is becoming more and more popular. Yet it is not at all easy to produce expressive, deep, multi-layered Veltliners with a moderate alcohol content. The variety tends to be somewhat plump in fruit anyway, and its relationship to Traminer also manifests itself in a tendency towards higher sugar levels, especially with reduced yields. But these are a prerequisite for high-quality Veltliner. All the more admirable are the results of many producers of this style, who succeed in combining coolness, precision and a consistently tart taste without expansive fruit with depth, substance and complexity.

We have tasted around 170 Grüner Veltliners in the past weeks, of which we present the best here. In addition to the Austrian representatives, there are also individual wines from South Tyrol and Germany. Links to all results, producers as well as detailed tasting notes can be found at the end of each of the best lists.

In Focus: Grüner Veltliner Grüner Veltliner 2021

Weingut Georg Frischengruber — Lower Austria/Niederösterreich 2021 Wachau DAC Ried Kreuzberg Grüner Veltliner Smaragd® trocken 36.00 €

Domäne Wachau — Lower Austria/Niederösterreich 2021 Wachau DAC Ried Achleiten Grüner Veltliner Smaragd® trocken 94 WP excellent 32.00 €

Weingut A. und F. Proidl — Lower Austria/Niederösterreich 2021 Grüner Veltliner Große Reserve trocken "Holzhammer 53" 42.00 €

Domäne Wachau — Lower Austria/Niederösterreich 2021 Wachau DAC Ried Axpoint Grüner Veltliner Smaragd® trocken 93 WP excellent 26.00 €

Johann Topf — Lower Austria/Niederösterreich 2021 Kamptal DAC Ried Gaisberg Grüner Veltliner Erste ÖTW Ried trocken 93 WP excellent 30.00 €

Weingut Hermann Moser — Lower Austria/Niederösterreich 2021 Kremstal DAC Ried Gebling Grüner Veltliner Erste ÖTW Ried Reserve trocken "HannaH" 26.50 €

Weingut A. und F. Proidl — Lower Austria/Niederösterreich 2021 Kremstal DAC Ried Pellingen Grüner Veltliner Erste ÖTW Ried Reserve trocken 25.00 €

Weingut Fred Loimer — Lower Austria/Niederösterreich 2021 Kamptal DAC Ried Loiserberg Grüner Veltliner Erste ÖTW Ried trocken 23.00 €

Weingut Bründlmayer Langenlois — Lower Austria/Niederösterreich 2021 Kamptal DAC Langenlois Grüner Veltliner Alte Reben 92 WP excellent 29.00 €

Weingut Rabl — Lower Austria/Niederösterreich 2021 Kamptal DAC Ried Käferberg Grüner Veltliner Reserve trocken Alte Reben 91 WP excellent 19.00 €

Johann Topf — Lower Austria/Niederösterreich 2021 Kamptal DAC Ried Offenberg Grüner Veltliner Erste ÖTW Ried trocken 92 WP excellent 29.80 €

Weingut Johann Donabaum — Lower Austria/Niederösterreich 2021 Wachau DAC Grüner Veltliner Smaragd® trocken Limitierte Edition 47.00 €

Weingut Buchegger — Lower Austria/Niederösterreich 2021 Kremstal DAC Ried Vordernberg Grüner Veltliner Erste ÖTW Ried Reserve trocken 24.00 €

Weingut Johann Donabaum — Lower Austria/Niederösterreich 2021 Wachau DAC Ried Kirchweg Grüner Veltliner Smaragd® trocken 22.00 €

Weingut Johann Donabaum — Lower Austria/Niederösterreich 2021 Wachau DAC Ried Point Grüner Veltliner Smaragd® trocken 26.50 €

Weingut Georg Frischengruber — Lower Austria/Niederösterreich 2021 Wachau DAC Ried Kirnberg Grüner Veltliner Smaragd® trocken 21.00 €

Weingut Rabl — Lower Austria/Niederösterreich 2021 Kamptal DAC Ried Loiserberg Grüner Veltliner Reserve trocken Alte Reben 90 WP excellent 17.00 €

Johann Topf — Lower Austria/Niederösterreich 2021 Kamptal DAC Ried Renner Grüner Veltliner Erste ÖTW Ried trocken 91 WP excellent 28.50 €

Martin Nigl — Lower Austria/Niederösterreich 2021 Kremstal DAC Ried Kirchenberg Grüner Veltliner Erste ÖTW Ried trocken "Herzstück" 91 WP excellent 38.00 €

Weingut Franz Türk — Lower Austria/Niederösterreich 2021 Kremstal DAC Ried Frechau Grüner Veltliner Erste ÖTW Ried Reserve trocken 90 WP excellent

Vorspannhof Mayr — Lower Austria/Niederösterreich 2021 Kremstal DAC Ried Gebling Grüner Veltliner Erste ÖTW Ried Reserve trocken 19.00 €

Weingut Karl Lagler — Lower Austria/Niederösterreich 2021 Wachau DAC Ried Steinporz Grüner Veltliner Smaragd® trocken 90 WP excellent 20.50 €

Weingut Schloss Gobelsburg — Lower Austria/Niederösterreich 2021 Kamptal DAC Langenlois Grüner Veltliner trocken 90 WP excellent 13.20 €

Weingut Zöhrer — Lower Austria/Niederösterreich 2021 Kremstal DAC Grüner Veltliner Reserve trocken Urgestein-Löss & Schieferterrassen "Urknall" 90 WP excellent 29.90 €

Weingut Bründlmayer Langenlois — Lower Austria/Niederösterreich 2021 Kamptal DAC Ried Loiserberg Grüner Veltliner Erste ÖTW Ried 90 WP excellent 17.00 €

Weingut Georg Frischengruber — Lower Austria/Niederösterreich 2021 Wachau DAC Ried Brunnthal Grüner Veltliner Smaragd® trocken 24.00 €

Weingut Georg Frischengruber — Lower Austria/Niederösterreich 2021 Wachau DAC Ried Zanzl Grüner Veltliner Smaragd® trocken 21.00 €

Weingut Rabl — Lower Austria/Niederösterreich 2021 Kamptal DAC Ried Dechant Grüner Veltliner Reserve trocken Alte Reben 89 WP very good 17.00 €

Martin Nigl — Lower Austria/Niederösterreich 2021 Kremstal DAC Ried Pellingen Grüner Veltliner Erste ÖTW Ried trocken "Privat" 90 WP excellent 33.00 €

Kloster Neustift — 2021 Eisacktal / Val d'Isarco DOC Grüner Veltliner "Praepositus" 18.40 €

Weingut A. und F. Proidl — Lower Austria/Niederösterreich 2021 Grüner Veltliner trocken "Generation X" 42.00 €

Weingut Hermann Moser — Lower Austria/Niederösterreich 2021 Kremstal DAC Ried Gebling Grüner Veltliner Erste ÖTW Ried Reserve trocken "Der Löss" 21.00 €

Weingut Franz Türk — Lower Austria/Niederösterreich 2021 Kremstal DAC Ried Thurnerberg Grüner Veltliner Erste ÖTW Ried Reserve trocken 89 WP very good

Vorspannhof Mayr — Lower Austria/Niederösterreich 2021 Kremstal DAC Ried Loiser Weg Grüner Veltliner trocken 10.50 €

Weingut Josef & Philipp Bründlmayer — Lower Austria/Niederösterreich 2021 Kremstal DAC Ried Moosburgerin Grüner Veltliner trocken 89 WP very good 25.00 €

Weingut Fred Loimer — Lower Austria/Niederösterreich 2021 Kamptal DAC Langenlois Grüner Veltliner trocken 16.00 €

Weingut Franz Türk — Lower Austria/Niederösterreich 2021 Grüner Veltliner Eiswein süß 89 WP very good

Weingut Karl Lagler — Lower Austria/Niederösterreich 2021 Wachau DAC Ried Hinter der Burg Grüner Veltliner Smaragd® trocken 89 WP very good 13.50 €

Weingut Zull — Lower Austria/Niederösterreich 2021 Weinviertel DAC Ried Äußere Bergen Grüner Veltliner Reserve trocken 18.00 €

Weingut PAX — Lower Austria/Niederösterreich 2021 Wachau DAC Grüner Veltliner Smaragd® trocken "Dolium" 89 WP very good 37.00 €

Weingut PAX — Lower Austria/Niederösterreich 2021 Wachau DAC Ried Kollmitz Grüner Veltliner Smaragd® trocken 89 WP very good 30.00 €

Weingut R & A Pfaffl — Lower Austria/Niederösterreich 2021 Weinviertel DAC Grüner Veltliner Reserve trocken "Hommage" 38.00 €

Weingut Christoph Bauer — Lower Austria/Niederösterreich 2021 Weinviertel DAC Grüner Veltliner Reserve trocken "Alter Schatz" 89 WP very good 16.00 €

Domäne Wachau — Lower Austria/Niederösterreich 2021 Wachau DAC Grüner Veltliner Smaragd® trocken "Terrassen" 89 WP very good 17.00 €

Weingut Schloss Gobelsburg — Lower Austria/Niederösterreich 2021 Kamptal DAC Ried Steinsetz Grüner Veltliner trocken 89 WP very good 15.80 €

Weingut Buchegger — Lower Austria/Niederösterreich 2021 Kremstal DAC Grüner Veltliner Reserve trocken "Leopold" 19.00 €

Martin Nigl — Lower Austria/Niederösterreich 2021 Kremstal DAC Ried Zwetl Grüner Veltliner Erste ÖTW Ried trocken 89 WP very good

Weingut Malat — Lower Austria/Niederösterreich 2021 Kremstal DAC Ried Höhlgraben Grüner Veltliner trocken 15.00 €

Weingut Josef & Philipp Bründlmayer — Lower Austria/Niederösterreich 2021 Kremstal DAC Ried Vordernberg Grüner Veltliner trocken 88 WP very good 25.00 €

Weingut Franz Türk — Lower Austria/Niederösterreich 2021 Kremstal DAC Krems Grüner Veltliner trocken "vom Urgestein" 88 WP very good

Weingut Buchegger — Lower Austria/Niederösterreich 2021 Kamptal DAC Ried Geppling Grüner Veltliner trocken 10.50 €

Johann Topf — Lower Austria/Niederösterreich 2021 Kamptal DAC Ried Wechselberg Grüner Veltliner trocken 88 WP very good 13.60 €

Fink & Kotzian Weinbau OG — Lower Austria/Niederösterreich 2021 Ried Königsberg Grüner Veltliner trocken 88 WP very good 12.00 €

Weingut Karl Lagler — Lower Austria/Niederösterreich 2021 Wachau DAC Ried Axpoint Grüner Veltliner Smaragd® trocken 88 WP very good 16.50 €

Weingut Karl Lagler — Lower Austria/Niederösterreich 2021 Wachau DAC Ried Burgberg Grüner Veltliner Federspiel® trocken 88 WP very good 10.90 €

Weingut Karl Lagler — Lower Austria/Niederösterreich 2021 Wachau DAC Spitz Grüner Veltliner Federspiel® trocken "Himmelsrichtungen" 88 WP very good 9.50 €

Weingut Leindl — Lower Austria/Niederösterreich 2021 Kamptal DAC Ried Seeberg Grüner Veltliner Erste ÖTW Ried trocken 24.00 €

Weingut Leindl — Lower Austria/Niederösterreich 2021 Kamptal DAC Ried Eichelberg Grüner Veltliner trocken 15.50 €

Weingut Esterhazy — Burgenland 2021 Leithaberg DAC Großhöflein Grüner Veltliner trocken 88 WP very good 15.50 €

Weingut PAX — Lower Austria/Niederösterreich 2021 Wachau DAC Grüner Veltliner Reserve trocken 88 WP very good 30.00 €

Weingut PAX — Lower Austria/Niederösterreich 2021 Wachau DAC Ried Kaiserberg Grüner Veltliner Smaragd® trocken 88 WP very good 28.00 €

Weingut R & A Pfaffl — Lower Austria/Niederösterreich 2021 Weinviertel DAC Grüner Veltliner Reserve trocken "Golden" 21.00 €

Weingut Zöhrer — Lower Austria/Niederösterreich 2021 Kremstal DAC Ried Frechau Grüner Veltliner trocken "Lössterrassen" 88 WP very good 19.90 €

Weingut Zöhrer — Lower Austria/Niederösterreich 2021 Kremstal DAC Ried Weinzierlberg Grüner Veltliner trocken "Urgesteinterrassen" 88 WP very good 19.90 €

Weingut Zöhrer — Lower Austria/Niederösterreich 2021 Kremstal DAC Ried Wachtberg Grüner Veltliner trocken "Schieferterrassen" 88 WP very good 19.90 €

Weingut Zöhrer — Lower Austria/Niederösterreich 2021 Kremstal DAC Ried Kapuzinerberg Grüner Veltliner trocken "Lössterrassen" 88 WP very good 19.90 €

Weingut Georg Frischengruber — Lower Austria/Niederösterreich 2021 Wachau DAC Ried Steiger Grüner Veltliner Federspiel® trocken 11.00 €

Weingut EIGL — Lower Austria/Niederösterreich 2021 Wachau DAC Ried Stein am Rain Grüner Veltliner Smaragd® trocken 88 WP very good 13.50 €

Weingut EIGL — Lower Austria/Niederösterreich 2021 Wachau DAC Ried Kollmitz Grüner Veltliner trocken 88 WP very good 8.00 €

All Wines

In Focus: Grüner Veltliner Grüner Veltliner 2020

Weingut Bründlmayer Langenlois — Lower Austria/Niederösterreich 2020 Kamptal DAC Ried Lamm Grüner Veltliner Erste ÖTW Ried trocken 96 WP great 51.00 €

Weingut Fred Loimer — Lower Austria/Niederösterreich 2020 Kamptal DAC Ried Käferberg Grüner Veltliner Erste ÖTW Ried trocken 43.00 €

Weingut Schloss Gobelsburg — Lower Austria/Niederösterreich 2020 Kamptal DAC Ried Lamm Grüner Veltliner Erste ÖTW Ried trocken 93 WP excellent 36.00 €

Weingut Schloss Gobelsburg — Lower Austria/Niederösterreich 2020 Kamptal DAC Ried Grub Grüner Veltliner Erste ÖTW Ried trocken 92 WP excellent 28.00 €

Weingut Malat — Lower Austria/Niederösterreich 2020 Kremstal DAC Ried Gottschelle Grüner Veltliner Erste ÖTW Ried trocken 32.00 €

Weingut Schloss Gobelsburg — Lower Austria/Niederösterreich 2020 Kamptal DAC Ried Renner Grüner Veltliner Erste ÖTW Ried trocken 91 WP excellent 22.00 €

Weingut Josef & Philipp Bründlmayer — Lower Austria/Niederösterreich 2020 Kremstal DAC Grüner Veltliner trocken "Credo" 90 WP excellent 39.00 €

Weingut Sommer — Burgenland 2020 Leithaberg DAC Ried Halser Grüner Veltliner trocken 90 WP excellent 26.00 €

Weingut Sommer — Burgenland 2020 Leithaberg DAC Ried Himmelreich Grüner Veltliner trocken 89 WP very good 23.00 €

Fink & Kotzian Weinbau OG — Lower Austria/Niederösterreich 2020 Ried Königsberg Grüner Veltliner trocken 88 WP very good 12.00 €

Weingut Garlider — 2020 Mitterberg IGT Grüner Veltliner 88 WP very good 19.00 €

Weinbau Ing. Wilhelm Eminger — Lower Austria/Niederösterreich 2020 Weinviertel DAC Ried Steinbergen Grüner Veltliner trocken "Exklusiv" 88 WP very good 8.00 €

All wines

In Focus: Grüner Veltliner Older vintages

Weingut Schloss Gobelsburg — Lower Austria/Niederösterreich 2013 Kamptal DAC Ried Renner Grüner Veltliner Reserve trocken Erste Lage 92 WP excellent

Weingut Schloss Gobelsburg — Lower Austria/Niederösterreich 2012 Kamptal DAC Ried Lamm Grüner Veltliner Reserve trocken Erste Lage 92 WP excellent 27.50 €

Franz Hirtzberger — Lower Austria/Niederösterreich 2012 Wachau Ried Kirchweg Grüner Veltliner Smaragd® trocken

Domäne Wachau — Lower Austria/Niederösterreich 2015 Wachau Ried Axpoint Grüner Veltliner Smaragd® trocken 92 WP excellent 23.00 €

Weingut Schloss Gobelsburg — Lower Austria/Niederösterreich 2011 Kamptal DAC Grüner Veltliner Reserve trocken Tradition 89 WP very good 21.50 €

Weingut F.X. Pichler — Lower Austria/Niederösterreich 2012 Wachau Grüner Veltliner Smaragd® trocken Urgestein Terrassen

Weingut Franz Türk — Lower Austria/Niederösterreich 2019 Grüner Veltliner trocken "333" 91 WP excellent

Weingut Schloss Gobelsburg — Lower Austria/Niederösterreich 2012 Kamptal DAC Ried Grub Grüner Veltliner Reserve trocken Erste Lage 91 WP excellent 23.00 €

Johann Topf — Lower Austria/Niederösterreich 2019 Kamptal Ried Rosengartl Grüner Veltliner trocken "M" 90 WP excellent 34.10 €

Weingut Baier — Lower Austria/Niederösterreich 2019 Weinviertel DAC Ried Ölberg Grüner Veltliner Große Reserve trocken "Monument vom Granitfass" 90 WP excellent 22.00 €

Weingut F.X. Pichler — Lower Austria/Niederösterreich 2012 Wachau Ried Steinertal Grüner Veltliner Smaragd® trocken

Weingut Josef & Philipp Bründlmayer — Lower Austria/Niederösterreich 2017 Grüner Veltliner Reserve trocken 89 WP very good 35.00 €

Weingut Karl Lagler — Lower Austria/Niederösterreich 2019 Wachau Ried Steinporz Grüner Veltliner Smaragd® trocken 89 WP very good 21.00 €

Weingut Karl Lagler — Lower Austria/Niederösterreich 2019 Wachau Ried Axpoint Grüner Veltliner Reserve trocken 89 WP very good 18.00 €

Weingut Garlider — 2018 Mitterberg IGT Grüner Veltliner "Hautnah" 89 WP very good 40.00 €

All wines

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	100 WP unique Wines that can only be made differently, but not better.
	95-99 WP great World-class wines whose depth, complexity, character and expressiveness give an unforgettable, sensual experience.
	90-94 WP excellent First class wines that are among the best of their kind. They are characterized by purity, harmony, depth and character.
	85-89 WP very good Remarkable wines with personality, expression, as well as a certain complexity and depth. They deserve every wine lover's attention.
	80-84 WP good Clean, harmonious, at best typical wines.
	75-79 WP passable
	70-74 WP schwach
	60-69 WP insufficient
	50-59 WP unacceptable

Welcome back!

The elegant ones are coming

In Focus: Grüner Veltliner

In Focus: Grüner Veltliner Grüner Veltliner 2021

In Focus: Grüner Veltliner Grüner Veltliner 2020

In Focus: Grüner Veltliner Older vintages

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EVENTS NEAR YOU

100 WP unique

95-99 WP great

90-94 WP excellent

85-89 WP very good

80-84 WP good

75-79 WP passable

70-74 WP schwach

60-69 WP insufficient

50-59 WP unacceptable