Grüner Veltliner Ried Steinberg 1.ÖTW 2022

Wine description for Grüner Veltliner Ried Steinberg 1.ÖTW 2022 by Hajszan Neumann

Colour & appearance

Sparkling lemon yellow with green reflections – bright, clear and of an almost cool purity.

Nose

Subtle and profound, a Veltliner of the understated kind. Kaffir lime leaves and bergamot zest open the bouquet, followed by Meyer lemon and green tea. The fruit remains deliberately restrained – honeydew melon and Nashi pear merely flash briefly. Instead, coriander, lemongrass, mint and lemon balm unfold, accompanied by cress and fresh seeds. A hint of cold smoke and a fine earthy note lend depth.

Palate

A bright, calcareous mouthfeel, initially almost austere, before creaminess and pressure gradually assert themselves. The acidity is moderate yet drives forward with vigour. The fruit presents itself in an unpretentious, mature manner, carried by broad herbal spice: white pepper, coriander seed, fennel pollen and allspice.

Finish

Spice and herbs linger for minutes before the calcareous minerality has the final say. Harmonious right to the end.

Terroir & origin

The Ried Steinberg vineyard site is located in Grinzing, as an extension of Vienna’s Nussberg – one of the capital’s most historic wine-growing areas. Weathered limestone with a high calcium carbonate and moderate clay content defines this sparse, structured site, which ranks among the Erste ÖTW vineyard sites. The 2022 vintage brought a dry, sunny summer with drought stress in young vines, before cool August nights stabilised the acidity – a year of contrasts that lends the wine its tension.

Grape variety & vinification

Pure Grüner Veltliner, vinified dry at 13.0% abv. After a six-hour skin contact, the grapes are gently pressed; the settled must ferments spontaneously in stainless steel with natural yeasts. The wine then matures on its fine lees – a straightforward approach aimed at clarity.

Food pairings

A serious food wine: Piccata Milanese with tagliatelle and yellow tomato sugo finds its echo in the herbal spice. Equally excellent with corn-fed chicken breast with Fregola Sarda and white beans or roasted fennel with mandarin segments, spelt grains and dill.

Special features

Hajszan Neumann is Fritz Wieninger’s experimental project on the Nussberg – farmed biodynamically and respekt-BIODYN-certified. While the sister estate Wieninger cultivates classical elegance, this project is free to polarise. This Steinberg reveals the uncompromising side of that philosophy: a Veltliner without any fireworks of fruit, relying instead on herbs, limestone and substance – Vienna, entirely devoid of Heuriger clichés.