2011 Alzinger Grüner Veltliner Federspiel Mühlpoint

Terry Theise Estate Selections

• By Terry Theise
  2012 Austrian Catalog, 6/1/2012, (See more on Terry Theise Estate Selections...)

  (Alzinger Grüner Veltliner Mühlpoint Federspiel) ($29.00) This is the hillside below the Steinertal, where the slope moderates and you don’t need terraces. The soil changes also, but whereas the wines used to be overtly green-beany, recent vintages have shown more minerality and a cooler profile, which Leo ascribes to the vines’ aging, and “to the roots reaching their water source as they go deeper into the soil.” For sure this 2011 was unusually sleek and herbal, less green bean and more marjoram. It’s also quite sedate, pure and moderate. It’s a chill dude, basically. The finish mixes cress and almond and a surprisingly dense minerality.