Gruner Veltliner is an Austrian grape variety that is finding a home in Australia. A favourite of sommeliers for their versatility and food friendliness. It requires a cooler climate, so in Australia think, Adelaide Hills, Canberra and Tumbarumba. It also has the coolest sounding nick name, which is “Gru Vee” baby.
The 2017 is Nick Spencer’s first release of Gruner Veltliner and he has certainly hit the road running. It comes from the oldest vineyard in the Tumbarumba region, planted in 1993 at 650 above sea level. The cool temperatures and the old volcanic soils on this site make it an ideal location for this Austrian variety.
Nick’s taken handpicked fruit and, pressed it to a mixture of stainless steel and older oak, then bottled it after two months on lees. (A mixture of 1000 litre Fourde, 500 litre New Oak Puncheon and the balance in Stainless Steel) Normally these wines see only stainless steel, but the extra barrel time and the short time on lees has amped up the texture of this typically crisp variety. This gentler but pronounced winemaking has paid dividends as you get the delicacy and minerality expected of this grape variety, but with a fuller mouthfeel and greater complexity.
A lovely delicate perfume of white flowers and lime. It’s got crunch in the mouth but the edges feel well rounded and softened by the subtle oak handling. A sprinkle of white peppery spice on green apple, lime and pear flavours. It’s slick, crisp, and mineral-charged. A lovely glass of wine.