I approached the Hirtzbeger 2007 Gruner Veltliner Smaragd Honivogl with the worry “too much of a good thing?” Yet, while exotically ripe, this displays a Riesling-like primary fruit energy and interplay of pit fruits, citrus, and diverse mineral elements. Snap peas, yellow beets, blond tobacco, and mango drizzled with honey, malt, and grapefruit inform a creamy palate that is remarkably transparent to stony, saline, savory, and shellfish-like nuances. Polished, proportional, and free of any but positive, glyceral consequences of its 14.5% alcohol, this beauty should be worth following for at least 7-9 years.Most of Hirtzberger’s 2007 vintage Gruner Veltliner reflect their late dates of harvest and the presence of botrytis (a certain amount of which he always welcomes) in rich, low tones.Importer: Vin Divino, Chicago, IL; tel. (773) 334-6700

Plush up front and crunchy midpalate, offering concentrated flavors of ripe apple, pear, peach and apricot. Bright and spicy on the finish. Drink now through 2013.??–KM??Region: Austria / Nieder?sterreich / Wachau Select to Add

Franz Hirtzberger tells us about harvest dates on his back labels: the fruit for this wine was harvested up to November 21, the result of the cool year. But the late harvest has brought out a wonderful richness of fruit flavors, the wine packed with spice, yellow fruits, livened up by sweet acidity. For aging—give it four years at least.——R.V.(7/1/2009)—— 92