Gruner Veltiner for folks that love white Burgundy too! That’s the nutshell.  Arriving Friday, please reply to order.

Oh… you want more info? How ‘bout this stuff is delish? And it’s hot outside?

More still? Okay…

Lagler Gruner Veltliner Federspiel Burgberg 2011 - $17.59 net – reg. $21.99 - Save 20%

What makes it different from most of the rest of the sub-$20 Austrian wines we see?

Well, it’s from the Wachau, Austria’s most illustrious wine region, and one which normally carries its own tariff.

From old vines, 30-50+ years old, planted to limestone-rich soil in terraced vineyards, and allowed to age with its lees for 4 months to add a wonderful, creamy texture to the mouthfeel.

Mostly it is the fantastic depth, concentration, and complexity.   Aromas run the gamut from green apple to melon fruit, with candied lime zest, white pepper, and anise.

The palate’s full of potent, ripe apple and citrus-tropical fruits, and has an interesting smoky minerality too.

 This would make a homerun pairing with tons of cuisine, from Thai spices to Schnitzel, but my pick would be some grilled sea scallops, kept simple with some sea salt, fresh pepper, and squeeze of lemon.

The Wachau is Austria’s westernmost sub region, and while it only produces 3% of the nation’s wine, it is home to some of the best vineyards.  Along its 12-mile stretch, there are over 900 named vineyard sites! The climate here is more continental than most winegrowing regions in Western Europe, with hot, dry summers and severe winters.  Luckily there are cool, northern breezes at night to cool the grapes and maintain their acidity, and the vineyards are planted along the Danube River, which also helps to mitigate the heat.

Karl Lagler’s family has been growing grapes in the Wachau since the late 1700’s, but it was only in the 1970’s that they started bottling their own wines.  Lagler emphasizes natural winemaking to allow the terroir to shine through, which means hand-picking only the best fruit from top vineyards, with old, low-yielding vines.  In the cellar he uses wild yeasts, with no temperature control.  The resulting long fermentation makes for more complex, layered wines, and 4 months of aging on the fine lees in stainless steel accounts for some of the rich, creamy texture.

Click here to order.