Grüner Veltliner Riede Steiner Schreck “Dritter Akt” unfiltriert 2018

The Grüner Veltliner is located in the Steiner Schreck vineyard. The site is very steep, the vines stand on small terraces of about four to five metres deep, which are characterised by Gföller gneiss and granite. The vines are 100 years old and are cultivated in a Demeter-certified manner. They have a 2.4 metre high foliage wall. The site is located at around 320 metres above sea level.

The harvest took place on 22 August around 65 days after flowering and thus earlier than ever before. However, the grapes were physiologically ripe and Markus Lang harvested at a pH of 3.0. This early harvest time resulted in an alcohol content of only 11.5 vol.-%. The GV was pressed extremely slowly over two days on the self-designed 100-tonne tree press. The pressing process itself is completely reductive, but afterwards the juice has time to brown, i.e. it is deliberately exposed to oxidation.

The juice was fermented spontaneously and aged on the full lees for two years in the large Stockinger wooden barrel and bottled unfiltered at 3.2 pH in November 2020. During fermentation, Lang added 3 to 5 % destemmed grapes, which fermented intercellularly, thus repeatedly kick-starting the fermentation process despite the constant 9 °C in the cellar. Later, the wine was minimally sulphurised.

medium straw yellow

This is a resting, highly refined Grüner Veltliner that you first have to get used to. While the »Fuchs and Dachs« are rather expressive with younger wood, the »Dritte Akt« is a shy representative at first, which looks good when caraffed and enjoyed from large glasses. Lanolin combines here with a very light note of lemon curd, cassis and crisp apple, with mirabelle plums and herbs.

On the palate, the Grüner Veltliner becomes lively, almost demanding with its fine spiciness of ginger, turmeric and pepper. The wine has a certain sharpness, an acidity that is completely unusual for Grüner Veltliner. When have you ever experienced a real acid bite with this variety and felt vibrant energy on the palate? Here it is, and it is complemented by a very individual chalky texture that is more reminiscent of lime than slate. In general, the wine has a clarity and brightness with simultaneous depth and complexity that one might associate with Chablis or Sancerre, from which one also knows the tight structure, but here one finds less fruit and more herbal spice instead. The wine is highly exciting, salty on the finish, long and again very elegant.