Grüner Veltliner Riede Steiner Schreck „Dritter Akt“ unfiltriert 2019

Wine Description for Grüner Veltliner Riede Steiner Schreck „Dritter Akt“ Unfiltered 2019 by HM Lang

Colour & Appearance

Medium straw yellow in the glass, unfiltered and thus possessing natural substance.

Nose

An initially reserved wine that rewards patience. With air, a vibrant intensity unfolds: citric freshness, white and yellow-fleshed fruit, herbal notes and stony minerality. Subtle hints of wood and lanolin lend complexity. The nose appears bright, clear and forceful – a wine that does not reveal itself immediately.

Palate

Remarkably silky in texture, with a fine, barely perceptible tannin that lends the wine structure. Mouth-filling and hedonistic, yet possessed of crystalline clarity. The ripe acidity initially shows restraint, but unfolds with greater presence and deep minerality with each sip. Subtle oxidative and yeasty notes blend harmoniously. The wine possesses a slumbering dimension – its full complexity is intimated without being fully grasped. On the finish exceptionally saline, creamy and sensual with pronounced elegance.

Finish

Long, mineral-saline and of remarkable precision. The creaminess carries far without ever seeming heavy.

Terroir & Origin

From the steep Riede Steiner Schreck near Krems, where 100-year-old vine roots are anchored on small terraces in Gföller gneiss and granite. The vineyard site at 320 metres altitude is farmed under Demeter certification. The exceptionally high canopy of 2.4 metres enables optimal photosynthesis.

Grape Variety & Vinification

Record-early harvest on 6 September 2019, just 65 days after flowering – at physiological ripeness and pH 3.0. Two-day, extremely slow pressing on a self-designed 100-tonne wooden press, initially reductive, then deliberate oxidation. Spontaneous fermentation with 3–5% whole berries for continuous fermentation activity at constant 9°C. Two years of yeast lees ageing in a 1,000-litre wooden barrel, minimally sulphited, unfiltered and bottled in March 2022.

Food Pairing Suggestions

Pan-fried turbot, calf’s sweetbreads, truffle risotto, poached lobster with beurre blanc, mature Comté or Gruyère.

Special Characteristics

At only 11.5% alcohol, a paragon of finesse over power. The vinification recalls great Burgundies – comparison with a Perrières is entirely justified. A wine that deserves time and attention.