Tasting Highlights' wine reviews are fresh out of the tasting room, offering a sneak peek of our editors' most recent scores and notes to WineSpectator.com members.
Quintessential Austrian whites are all about minerality and terroir. Grüner Veltliner, the country's star grape, is a great example of this: It's fairly neutral in taste, allowing the soil and microclimate in which it's grown to be reflected by the wine. Loess-dominated soils tend to make wines that are ripe and full-bodied, whereas those from granite make more elegant and precise examples.
Grüner's ability to express these differences yields a wide variety of styles. Coupled with careful winegrowing and winemaking practices, these wines are at the forefront of high-quality whites, and their price-to-quality ratio makes them some of the best deals of the wine world.
NIGL Grüner Veltliner Niederösterreich Freiheit 2017
WS Review: An exuberant style, gaining a fizzy impression from the minerality. The core expresses peach, tarragon and cardamom details, but the savoriness takes the front seat. Very well-built, with focused acidity and a vivid structure. Echoing finish. Drink now through 2027. 2,524 cases imported.
Why It's of Note: The 2016 Nigl bottling of this vibrant white was included in Wine Spectator's Top 100 Wines of 2018. Martin Nigl, who owns the winery with his family and is the winemaker, blends Grüner grapes from four different parcels in Kremstal. He practices sustainable farming, never using pesticides, which helps bring out vitality in the plants. The wine is spontaneously fermented in stainless-steel tanks, allowing the terroir to shine through.
BERNHARD OTT Niederösterreich Am Berg 2017
WS Review: Lovely aromas of lily, rose, vanilla and coconut accent the peach and pineapple flavors in this white. A firm structure and dense texture make this complete. Multidimensional, with enough acidity for balance, and the body helps out. Persistent saline finish. Grüner Veltliner. Drink now through 2027. 1,320 cases imported.
Why It's of Note: Bernhard Ott is a fourth-generation winemaker from the region of Wagram in Lower Austria. He is one of the founders of Respekt, a group of likeminded winegrowers who farm using biodynamic practices. His wines are generally pure and vibrant. This introduction to Ott's portfolio shows the charming side of Grüner: expressive, balanced and complex.
BRÜNDLMAYER Grüner Veltliner Kamptal Terrassen 2017
WS Review: Smoke aromas extend on the palate to join hints of toasted hazelnut, which surrounds yellow apple and quince flavors, all underscored by sea salt detail in this white. This shows great harmony overall, with good intensity of flavors and acidity, leaving a salty impression on the finish. Drink now through 2027. 1,002 cases imported.
Why It's of Note: Bründlmayer is a Kamptal stalwart, with around 150 acres of vineyards delivering consistent quality vintage after vintage. Led by Willi Bründlmayer, the winery farms organically in some of the best sites of the region. This white is made from grapes from younger vines from several different vineyards. It's a mineral-driven version typical of high-quality Grüner Veltliner.
HIEDLER Grüner Veltliner Niederösterreich Löss 2017
WS Review: Harmonious, charming and reined in, yet very tightly wound and dense. Features ripe peach and tobacco flavors at the core, with a serious structure. Not as flamboyant as some of its peers, but very well-crafted. Best from 2020 through 2027. 700 cases imported.
Why It's of Note: The Hiedler family has been making wine in the region of Kamptal since the 18th century, with Ludwig and María Angeles Hiedler taking the lead here in the 1980s. They practice sustainable farming, with little intervention in the cellar. Only indigenous yeasts are used for fermentation and no additives are used, including sulfur in some cases; malolactic fermentation is never blocked. This bottling portrays their winemaking style: creamy, expressive and complex, with good balance overall.
SCHLOSS GOBELSBURG Grüner Veltliner Kamptal Schlosskellerei 2017
WS Review: Very appealing, with a jolt of electricity from the acidity fueling the peach, white raspberry and ground ginger notes. Tobacco and white chocolate accents linger on the long, pure-tasting finish. Drink now through 2026. 4,440 cases imported.
Why It's of Note: Mentored by Willi Bründlmayer, Michael Moosbrugger has crafted a reputation for Schloss Gobelsburg, which had been led by many different families since the 11th century. Farming about 120 acres of vineyards, mostly in "erste lagen" sites (Austria's unofficial grands crus), Moosbrugger makes pure and vibrant examples across the board. This entry-level white exemplifies this, made from young-vine grapes sourced from the prestigious Heiligenstein vineyard.
STADT KREMS Grüner Veltliner Kremstal 2017
WS Review: A thick version, with white pepper and clove notes gliding along the edges, while roasted pineapple and persimmon flavors form the center. This is very harmonious, but a little plump. Drink now. 3,000 cases imported.
Why It's of Note: Originally founded to support the hospital in Krems in the 15th century, Stadt Krems was a "people's winery." It wasn't until 2003, when Fritz Misbauer took over, that the estate started focusing on quality. This 2017 Grüner is a testament to this change. Fermented in large stainless-steel tanks, the wine shows purity and portrays the warm 2017 vintage perfectly with its dense texture and ripe fruit flavors, as well as Grüner's typical white pepper note. For $15 a bottle, this is a great introduction for those unfamiliar with the variety.