NV Hollenburger Grüner Veltliner - Christoph Hoch

Golden apple, arugula leaf, dried lemon peel. Apricot pit, dehydrated flowers, orange oil. Ginger root and white pepper, orchard blossom and potpourri. Sliced yellow pear, cantaloupe, and kumquat muddle with dehydrated flowers and leafy greens in a spiced and slightly oxidative initial attack. Cheese rind and curdled yogurt immediately interject a pronounced dosing of earthy leesy funk punctuated by a distinct pilsner-esque note. Pumpkin puree, almond, and raw potato sit softly in waiting dusted with light autumnal spices, crushed chalky stone, and a touch of forest floor. Medium in both body and acidity, showcasing subtle phenolics and obvious signs of age via developed tertiary character. This NV Hollenburger Grüner Veltliner by Christoph Hoch is a marvelously complex and interesting multi-vintage white from Kremstal Austria.

While vintage wines have the unique ability to reflect the weather of a specific growing season there are distinct elements of terroir that can be best observed when multiple vintages of a wine are blended together. This bottling, crafted by Christoph Hoch using a multi-vintage blend of Grüner Veltliner sourced from the Hollenburger terroir in Kremstal, provides an interesting look into one of the greatest regions for Austria's most famous white grape. This wine clearly expresses true Grüner varietal character plus some beautiful maturity and development to the fruit, along with a gorgeous chalky and earthy component attributed to its origin in calcareous soils. It shows plenty of lees influence, just a touch of funk, and even a hint of brett from hands-off natural winemaking, yet this is a wine that clearly speaks of grape and place. Delicious, complex, and contemplative all at once - a real winner here that we discovered thanks to Rae Vino.