Salzl Figaro Gruner Veltliner 2021

Salzl Figaro Alte Reben Gruner Veltliner, Burgenland, Austria, 2021

Grape: 100% Gruner Veltliner, old vines, sandy clay & gravel soils, 35hl/ha yield, barrel fermented, 12 months' lees ageing 

Producer tasting Note:

Intense, bright straw yellow with green reflections. Pleasant herbal spice on the nose with ripe stone fruit, some fresh green apples, a hint of grapefruit and lime, some grape sugar, subtle notes of elder, black and red pepper, fine roasted aromas. The ripe fruit spreads beautifully on the palate, underlaid with plenty of herbal aromas and fine floral hints in the background, reminiscent of baked apple, nettles, great extra sweetness, fresh salty minerality, dense, creamy and very balanced, wonderfully integrated roasted aromas, remains wonderfully long on the palate. A versatile food companion that is fun from the very first sip and makes you want the next glass!

Critic's Tasting Note:

"Established in the 1840s in Illmitz and now with a total vineyard area of 100 ha. This wine is from a vineyard owned by Christophe Salzl’s uncle (a hairdresser but one who takes his vines seriously). 4–5 km from the lake. Vines 60 years old and now farmed for quality rather than quantity. Fermented in old oak barriques. High ripeness in the grapes. Kept with full lees for one year. No malolactic conversion because 2021 was a ripe year. TA 4.6 g/l, RS 3.4 g/l.

Smells creamier and more mealy than the Gebrüder Nittnaus Grüner Veltliner Kreuzkapelle 2022 just tasted. Gently oaked aroma. Quite oaky on the palate but not charry or spicy; it’s all in the creaminess. Deep and long. Very pure, with citrus and pear notes. Much more delicate than, say, most examples of Grüner from the Wachau. Immense freshness and really elegant in an oaked style. Salty aftertaste"  Drink 2024-2029

17/20 points, Julia Harding MW, JancisRobinson.com, June 2024

Also awarded 92/100 points, A la Carte guide (Austria)

Food Match: Seafood (smoked salmon, shellfish), chicken or Wiener (veal) schnitzel, Asian dishes (spicy Thai, Vietnamese, or Sichuan), soft cheeses