NUMEN Grüner Veltliner 2020

Wine Description for NUMEN Grüner Veltliner 2020 by Johannes Zillinger

Colour & Appearance

Pale golden yellow, already hinting at 22 months of maturation – a Grüner Veltliner that deliberately shows its colour.

Nose

Uncompromisingly natural: bletted apples and warm yeast dough dominate initially, followed by nuts and almond slivers. Subtle notes of lanolin, blonde tobacco and mineral stone complete the picture – an aromatics profile that clearly signals: minimal sulphuring and extended time on the lees.

Palate

Here the true class of this wine reveals itself: firmly structured and powerful, with a creamy, yeasty texture that one might initially mistake for heaviness. But then comes the surprise: an impressive vibrancy runs through the wine. Not from aggressive acidity – which is ripe and refined – but from mineralic tension, herbal-spicy notes and a slightly saline component. Dark spice meets refreshing complexity.

Finish

Long, multifaceted and present. The wine lingers on the palate and unfolds its complexity in several waves.

Terroir & Origin

From the Steinthal vineyard site in Weinviertel, from old, carefully selected Grüner Veltliner vines. Physiologically fully ripe grapes form the foundation for this remarkable interpretation.

Grape Variety & Vinification

Radical natural wine approach: six-day intracellular maceration fermentation in Kvevri, followed by 22 months ageing in 700-litre acacia barrels on the lees – without any intervention. Bottled with minimal 20 mg/L sulphites. A wine that demands patience and courage.

Food Pairing Suggestions

The power and texture call for appropriate partners: dim sum with duck, tonkatsu with white cabbage salad or green asparagus quiche. Generally, the wine harmonises with umami-rich, spicy dishes that mirror its complexity.

Special Characteristics

This is no conventional Grüner Veltliner for pepper-lovers. Zillinger presents here a profound, mature interpretation of the variety – a natural wine with character that needs time to breathe and is unafraid to polarise.