2005 Franz Hirtzberger "Rotes Tor" Federspiel Gruner Veltliner

[dananne]

Easily the best white we've had in a while. Beautiful golden straw in color with hints of green. Nose of crushed honeydew melon, peach, and green apple, with the flavors a melange of fruits with a citrusy zing, racy acidity, and a core of minerality that was evident from start to finish. Great food wine, not only because of the acidity, but also because the underlying body will allow it to stand up to dishes that should clobber it -- we served it as one of the whites for a dinner party last night, and it had to stand up to arugula, tomato, and mozzarella salads with balsamic, a spring vegetable risotto, and pork tenderloin. It had something different to offer for each course, and as you know, pairing with balsamic is close to suicidal, and the rissotto featured asparagas -- yikes! Anyway, great wine that is drinking wonderfully, but would likely age into something lovely. Alc. 12% (trockener). Paid $28 locally.

[This message has been edited by dananne (edited 04-08-2007).]

[wondersofwine]

It may have been Foodie that said in Germany they pair asparagus with Riesling, in France with Sauvignon Blanc and in Austria with Gruner Veltliner. All make good sense. I often use Sauvignon Blanc to go with a vinaigrette salad but G.V. has some of the same qualities. And lately I have sampled some G.V. I like (Nigl I believe and possibly Prager.)

[dananne]

Well, then I'm glad to hear I'm not crazy! In truth, when we need to make a wine pairing with a white, we typically use a sparkler, as I think Anne has mentioned to you that she doesn't see the point in a white that doesn't sparkle. So, on the downside, that means that we aren't where we need to be, knowledge-wise, when it comes to traditional white pairings. Therefore, I'm glad this worked out so well, and even more happy that I got the opportunity to taste this wonderful wine. Generally, it would be something I'd glance at in passing as I wandered to the Pinots [img]http://wines.com/ubb/smile.gif[/img]

Interestingly, we had the Nigl as the 2nd bottle popped after finishing this one. We liked it, too, but for our tastes this one was just fantastic. If you see it on the shelves up there, I'd strongly recommend it, and as you probably know, whites rarely make me jump up and take notice.