Sankt Georgen “Aka Serious wine from a Gorgeous place” 2020

Bright straw yellow with delicate green and light reflections

2020 Sankt Georgen exudes real character. This wine by Roland Velich also absolutely stands for origin and not grape variety. The fruit comes out in fine hints. Lime juice, green banana, a little mirabelle plum and apricot dare to surface very shyly. The fruit is never loud. It lives much more on flavours of corn, whole corn cobs, green peas and fennel. Mixed in are some roasted caraway seeds and plenty of aniseed. White pepper, marjoram and rosemary provide proper spice and ethereal traits. This combination of vegetal, ethereal and fruity components is enormously appealing to me. It seems earthy, dark and evokes memories of cold smoke that settles in textiles. In the background, fresh herbs like parsley and sage are always whirring along, never wanting to come to the fore, but so important to the overall picture.

On the palate, it continues this idea seamlessly. It is enormously dense and compactly woven. Not even remotely heavy or lush, but just dense and rich in texture and aromas. It is absolutely coherent and great. It shows finesse, a fine coolness despite its arm density and concentration. The acidity is enormously well adjusted and carries it for a long time on the palate. Its stony features come to the fore after the first sip. The spiciness remains. It is enlivened by fresh herbs and increasingly more lime zest in the finish. Great wine!