Grabenwerkstatt - Grüner Veltliner Ried Schön Smaragd 2020

The "Schön" vineyard site sounds inviting just by its name, and this Grüner Veltliner presents itself in much the same way. The soil consists of paragneiss and is made for Veltliner. "Schön" is a slightly warmer site, but we are still talking about the Spitzer Graben, not Paarl in South Africa. The result is fresh, balanced white wines with fruity aromas of ripe apples, apricots, citrus fruits, and subtle herbs. Elegant and with a taut structure, delicate, with a lovely drive and a long finish. The last sentence describes the Grabenwerkstatt perfectly!

Since 2021, Grabenwerkstatt has no longer been a member of the Vinea Wachau Nobilis Districtus; therefore, the traditional designations Federspiel and Smaragd no longer appear on the labels. For the two winemakers, the focus today is on origin – the site – while classification based on must weight (potential alcohol) is increasingly losing importance due to climate change.