2017 Franz Hirtzberger Grüner Veltliner Spitz Steinfeder

Franz Hirtzberger

Austria / Wachau / Franz Hirtzberger

The village of Spitz is home to the Franz Hirtzberger winery and lies at the cooler, western end of the Wachau valley. The fruit for Spitz Steinfeder comes from the family's lowest-altitude vines. These are up to 30 years old and this, combined with the excellent subsoil of alluvial soil and Danube gravel produces a wine which is low in alcohol and provides excellent easy drinking. Steinfeder is the lightest category of the region, a refreshing and delicate style with crisp and vibrant acidity. The wine is fermented in stainless steel tanks. Alcohol 11.5%; Residual Sugar 1g/L; Total Acidity 5g/L.

October, 2018

Stuart Pigott

jamessuckling.com

90 points

A fresh and feather-light Grüner Veltliner with yellow and green-apple aromas. Very easy to enjoy. Clean and polished finish. Drink now.

Standard Bottle Out of Stock

About Franz Hirtzberger

The Hirtzberger family purchased its first vineyards in the village of Spitz in the late 1800s. The winery is situated at the western end of the Wachau - the part that's coolest and closest to the mountains. The terraced Singerriedel vineyard has brought the family near legendary status for its Riesling, while the Honivogl has done the same with Grüner Veltliner. Such sites, allied to an approach that’s simple in the extreme, lend the wines an often astonishing transparency and complexity.

About

"In every walk of life the best results are obtained as a result of care," says Franz Hirtzberger, adding, "this is especially true when it comes to the vine." He and his son, also Franz, now share responsibilities in the vineyard and the cellar in order to give the vine and its fruit all the time and attention possible in their quest for great wine. Wines are fermented in stainless steel and then aged in old oak barrels and sit stylistically somewhat apart from the rest. Spicy, exotic and perfectly poised, they nevertheless combine the opulence of FX Pichler with Prager’s racy purity.