Nuances of citrus and orchard fruit mark this easy-drinking version. Hints of ground mustard appear on the zippy finish. Drink now. 75 cases imported.??–AZ??Region: Austria / Nieder?sterreich / Wachau Select to Add

Very well-made, with hints of smoky spice and oregano, while apple and peach flavors sneak in midpalate. Impressive for the category. Drink now through 2022. 50 cases imported.??–BS??Region: Austria / Nieder?sterreich / Wachau Select to Add

A sign of the vintage, Hirtzbergers achieved a deliciously light, 11.5% alcohol, refreshing, 2010 Gruner Veltliner Steinfeder Donaugarten, yet did not pick most of these grapes until the 27th and 28th of October! Iodine and fruit pip inflect herb-infused pear and lemon in this buoyant, subtly silken-textured performance that should be enjoyed over the next couple of years.Given the penchant at this address for late harvest; considerable skin contact; and must aeration, I was not surprised to learn from Franz Hirtzberger Junior that only their Riesling Federspiel had been at all de-acidified. “If there’d been even a bit more hanging out there though,” he notes “then we wouldn’t have made it” – i.e. acheived ripe grapes. “We learned our lesson from 1996,” as Hirtzberger Senior saw it, namely not to harvest – despite ongoing crop loss and fear of ignoble rot (though in this case that didn’t materialize) – until the acids finally began to diminish and the skins to properly ripen. Importer: Vin Divino, Chicago, IL; tel. (773) 334-6700

This year (unlike last) the weather cooperated at the lightest end of the stylistic spectrum, and we that, is, the few consumers with access to it in Europe, have a delightfully refreshing 2007 Gruner Veltliner Steinfeder Donaugarten from Hirzberger, more than fit for immediate consumption. A cooling melange of melon, herbs, and lentil, with a summer squash-like palate impression thanks to sweet vegetable flavors and a waxy texture, this finishes with an invigoratingly saline tang. This Steinfeder was a product of Auslese in mid-Setpember. The “real” harvest began only a month later. 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

The 2001 Gruner Veltliner Steinfeder Spitzer Donaugarten ("garden of the Danube") reveals rich aromas of earth, smoke, and spice. This light-bodied and floral wine is fresh and focused, with delicate lemon, earth, and lily flavors. It is produced from a flat vineyard that abuts the majestic Danube within Spitz's town limits. Drink it over the next 2 years. Importer: Vin Divino, Chicago, IL; tel. (773) 334-6700