Hiedler’s 2010 Gruner Veltliner Thal displays a delightfully dynamic interaction of citrus, herb, and incisive as well as peppery mineral elements. A saline savor akin to shrimp shell reduction adds mouthwatering appeal to the juicy – if by Hiedler’s standards relatively spare – palate. This vibrantly finishing Veltliner should drink well for at least half a dozen years. Ludwig Hiedler – whose overall account of vintage 2010 can be found leading-off my introduction to this report – notes that “given such a small crop, ripeness wasn’t that bad once you got into October; and we started picking relatively early so as not to risk further crop loss and so as to avoid botrytis. All that was left to pick in November was the Heiligenstein and Maximum Riesling; Weissburgunder and Chardonnay; and the Kittmannsberg (Gruner Veltliner),” that last a good thing, since Hiedler has for years bottled its fruits under the name “November Harvest” (recently shortened to “November”)! Hiedler has taken an increasingly passive and leisurely approach to fermentation and elevage – as described in my introductions to his 2005 and 2006 collections in issues 160 and 177, where further details on the sites he farms will also be found. His wines tend to undergo malo-lactic transformation as a matter of course, not to mention enjoy long lees contact, and thus his approach to ameliorating 2010’s high acidity was already a foregone conclusion.Importer: Terry Theise Estate Selections, imported by Michael Skurnik Wines, Inc., Syosset, NY; tel. (516) 677-9300

With its aromas of beet root and sugar snap peas, there is no mistaking the grape on display in Hiedler’s 2004 Gruner Veltliner Thal. This medium-bodied wine also displays considerably more palate weight (and was picked two weeks later) than the Spiegel and Vier Weinberge. Hints of citrus rind, crushed stone, and ground pepper pungency inform the finish, which is formidably long, if faintly bitter. Importer: Terry Theise Estate Selections, imported by Michael Skurnik Wines, Inc., Syosset, NY; tel. (516) 677-9300