NUMEN Grüner Veltliner 2020

Wine Description for NUMEN Grüner Veltliner 2020 by Johannes Zillinger

Colour & Appearance

Luminous, pale golden yellow in the glass – clear and inviting, with a depth that already hints at the unconventional vinification.

Nose

The nose is unmistakably that of a natural winemaker with conviction and craft. Baked apples and warm yeast dough dominate, complemented by nuts, almond slivers and a whisper of blonde tobacco. Beneath lies a subtle mineral tension – lanolin and stone whisper from the glass. An aromatic profile that inspires confidence and curiosity.

Palate

On the palate, a wine of remarkable complexity and character unfolds. The creamy texture from 22 months on the lees carries the wine without burdening it. What initially appears as richness reveals itself as a finely balanced interplay: ripe, refined acidity, a slightly saline mineral quality and a herbal-spicy depth lend this Veltliner impressive vibrancy. Not a clumsy orange wine attempt, but a wine with genuine soul.

Finish

Long, multifaceted and persistent. Dark spice and minerality remain present, the wine lingers on the palate with an elegance rarely expected from this variety.

Terroir & Origin

The grapes come from the single vineyard site Steinthal in the Weinviertel, Lower Austria – a terroir renowned for its mineral character. Old vines from a proprietary selection provide physiologically ripe grapes with the concentration this vinification demands.

Grape Variety & Vinification

Grüner Veltliner, vinified consistently naturally: six days of intracellular maceration fermentation in Kvevri, followed by 22 months ageing on the lees in 700-litre acacia barrels – without intervention. Bottled without fining with merely 20 mg/L sulphite. Residual sugar: 1 g/L. A wine that demands patience and conviction – and repays both.

Food Pairing Suggestions

The complexity and spice of NUMEN call for dishes with depth and structure: dim sum with duck and Brussels sprouts with nut butter, tonkatsu with white cabbage salad or a hearty green asparagus quiche. For the adventurous, try it with aged hard cheese.

Special Characteristics

Johannes Zillinger is among Austria’s most consistent natural winemakers. The NUMEN is not a wine for quick consumption – it needs time in the glass, sometimes in the cellar too. Those who embrace this will be rewarded with one of the most distinctive and exciting Grüner Veltliners the Weinviertel has to offer.