Community Tasting Notes 6

• guitarguy wrote: 91 points

  March 21, 2024 - Steely, wet rock nose I seem to get from many Austrian whites, varietal notwithstanding. I expected this to be over the hill, it got lost in my cellar, but it was really nice. Redolent of white flowers and beeswax, it finishes with just enough acidity to keep flabbiness in check. Perhaps the long, floral finish with notes of browned butter and white peach are its best features. I would not hold but there’s still some time. Like a top Alsatian Pinot Gris. What could have been disastrous turned out very fine

  Comment

• wino_tim wrote:

  November 25, 2021 - Pale yellow. Still quite youthful with plenty of gas in the tank, this is very Pinot Gris: nearly full bodied with medium acidity and juicy flavors of peach, nectarine, melon and botrytis-influenced honey and saffron. Tasty, if plump.

  Comment

• RichardP wrote: 82 points

  July 25, 2016 - Lemongrass and a hint of shoe polish on the nose. On the palate, pear juice, orange peel, muskmelon, and notes of lemon candy and clove on the medium finish, with low acidity and significant sweetness. This verged on being insipid; it's out of balance, with excessive sweetness and not nearly enough acidity to offset it. This is the first wine I have had from Hirtzberger that has fallen short, and it's a major disappointment. I am not aware of any fault that would cause this, so I can't call it flawed, but it certainly doesn't live up to its price point. This is a poor value at about $40, and I can think of $10 wines I would buy before looking at this again.

  Comment

• hrazdiiv Likes this wine: 92 points

  June 10, 2015 - A superb effort by Franz. This pleasant wine (which is actually a pinot gris) came out ready to go from the first sip. A nice, slightly darker colour than straw leads to a surprisingly complex nose of citrus, melon, and a bit of flint. The wine has just the right amount of crisp acidity that is nicely enveloped by the secondary fruit flavours that develop on the finish. Tannins are medium, which is just about where you want this to be right around now; I kept remarking how well balanced it was. Served slightly colder than average, I'd recommend you go a little colder on this than, say a, a Burgundy. I'd rank it slightly more complex than a Gruner (perhaps not as much as his Smaragd Rieslings though), and judge it to be perfect drinking now.

  Comment

• tooch wrote: 88 points

  February 23, 2013 - 2011 Franz Hirtzberger Dinner (Sun Wah BBQ - Chicago, IL): I think this was my first time drinking a Grauburgunder. Zesty grapefruit, peach and tons of crushed-rock-minerality. Liked the balance and purity here.

  Comment

Pro Reviews 0

• No pro reviews found.

Wine Definition

• Vintage 2011
• Type White
• Producer Franz Hirtzberger
• Varietal Grauburgunder
• Designation Smaragd
• Vineyard Pluris
• Country Austria
• Region Niederösterreich
• SubRegion Wachau
• Appellation n/a

Community Holdings

• Pending Delivery 0 (0%)
• In Cellars 6 (38%)
• Consumed 10 (63%)

Food Pairing

Who Likes This Wine

More About This Wine