Our panel: Clint Fox, Group Beverage Director, Scott Pickett Group; Andrew Wyse, Sommelier and Importer, Cardwell Cellars; Ganesh Hulme, Head Sommelier, IDES; Hannah Maltby, winemaker, Mac Forbes Wines; Luke Campbell, Director & Head Buyer, Vinified Cellar Management; Gabriella Rush, retail professional; Patrick Dowling, Domaine Wine Shippers and Ray Nadeson, owner/winemaker Lethbridge Wines.
Fox had this as his top wine of the day, with Campbell and Nadeson also including it in their top-six selections. “This wine truly stood out as the epitome of elegance and charm,” effused Fox. “Orchid-like fruits took centre stage, with delightful hints of pear and toasted cashew nut gracefully appease the scenes. Upon the first sip, a lively burst of white pepper spice tantalizes the palate, accompanied by subtle whispers of ginger, imparting a delightful savory dimension to the wine. The balance achieved here is nothing short of sublime, with a texture that is both captivating and engaging, and a weight on the palate that embodies the essence of Grüner Veltliner. The possibility of barrel fermentation only enhances its allure, elevating it to new heights of excellence. This is not merely a wine for Grüner enthusiasts, it’s a gem that appeals to all wine lovers alike. A mid-weight powerhouse, it effortlessly showcases remarkable complexity and a captivating personality that leaves a lasting impression.” Campbell added: “A heavier example here, heading toward Chardonnay territory. The nose is vibrant. Think cucumber skin, celery, ginger, white pepper and five spice all permeating the olfactory. The palate is super juicy and has a medium weight, it started fine then thickened out, its more complex than initially thought. It’s zesty, zingy acids are a hallmark alongside mixed citrus rind, crushed nuts, celery and sage… For when Riesling just won’t do it. I just want a spicy pork tonkatsu, for the acid to carve up. Or an eggplant curry to digest with this wine. Good, different! This wine has a Sunday with friends, written all over it.”
Both Hulme and Campbell had this in their top two, while Nadeson had it in his top three selections. “Potently aromatic, the nose is laden with lean but concentrated fruit aromas spanning lemon balm, green melon, and gooseberry,” wrote Hulme. “A touch of grassy snowpea character announces this as one of the less-ripe examples, yet it doesn’t want for intensity. Ample pepper spice and dusty forest floor notes elevate this to one of the better lean expressions. It finishes with fresh acidity that carries the spicy finish.” “A refined and elegant wine that showcases purity of fruit,” said Nadeson. “It offers delicate aromas of green apple, citrus zest, and wild white flowers on the nose. The palate is crisp and complex, with flavors of lemon, lime leaf and stinging nettle, and a complementary minerality. The finish is bright, refreshing light and yet still manages to be interesting enough to make you go on a journey.” Campbell declared, “If this was art, it would be a Roy Lichtenstein! The wine has a popping orange colour, saffron, bath salts, lychee, lemon and lime, that goes ‘bam’ on the nose. Then the bangin’ acidity takes over. Loads going on here just like pop-art. The palate has a lush medium weight, it’s so expressive. Flavours of tangerine with a grapefruit punch. A super refreshing glass of wine. I have only one question: do they make it in Magnum (1500mL)?”
Dowling and Rush both had this in their top three wines of the day, with Wyse and Hulme also having it in their top selections. Rush noting, “This was my favourite nose to revisit because it took me through a wonder of Eastern flavours. It was delicate plumes of Japanese incense, salty-sweet satay sauce (think roasted peanuts, coconut milk and kecap manis), ginger, lychee, freshly squeezed lemon and lime juice, starfruit, yoghurty lassi. Something slighty herbal too, like a fresh mint tea or eucalyptus. Absolutely fascinating and just think of the delicious pairings you could do.” Dowling’s note read, “Stone fruit, fresh cut herbs and spice alongside some savoury notes, interesting nose. This wine is an explosion of fruits including citrus, rambutan, stone fruits ably backed up with some bracing acidity giving some frame to the wine. On the fuller bodied side, this is a wine to enjoy with a myriad of foods.” “Wine opens lithe yet textural, very silky and luxurious mid-palate with some bright green ginger, lemon curd, peach blossom, acacia, daffodils, long and elegant finish,” said Wyse. “Thinking some Japanese sashimi with yuzu koshu, unagi, or maybe scallops grilled on the half shell.” “A remarkably savoury expression, the nose is dominated by turned earth, tarragon, sweet pea, white pepper, and an oceanic, briny quality,” added Hulme. “A sense of creamy nougat-like aroma, but along with a touch of citrus and stone fruit plays merely a supporting role.”
This was Hulme’s top wine of the day, with Maltby including it in her top two. “One of the riper expressions, and very complex,” said Hulme. “There is a wide spectrum of fruit here that spans preserved citrus, white peach and starfruit. White pepper and turmeric offer well-integrated dry spice character and the nose rounds out with a dusty quality that is distinctly reminiscent of forest floor in the Australian bush. Modestly tart among its peers, the long finish is carried by the depth and breadth of flavour and rather mouth-watering acidity.” “Heady and exotic, a fantastic exploration of a riper style,” noted Maltby. “Opens with intense florals, frangipani, musk, lychee and a bit of pithy pink grapefruit. The palate is generous but restrained with fleshy tropical fruits and a touch of toasty nougat complemented by peppery Vietnamese mint and a vibrant, driving acid line. Serious, grippy phenolics are nicely balanced by a pleasing waxy character, creating a long and cohesive drinking experience. This bottle would disappear very quickly beside a bowl of curry laksa at my house.”
This was Campbell’s top wine of the day, with Fox including it in her top two. “A sophisticated example, with acute florals, like apple blossom and jasmine with notes of chalk and fairy floss,” said Campbell. “The palate is lacy, with good zingy refreshing acids, that play in the green spectrum as it unfurls down the palate. Honeydew melon strikes with a subtle sweetness, followed by snow pea tendrils, alfalfa, sage and thyme flavours. The mouthfeel shows the balance and poise of a great ballet dancer. This is savory and complex. This would be a great alternative to a racy pinot grigio, just with more fruit! A lot going on here, the wine is just screaming out for some tuna sashimi or better still, seared Tasmanian salmon drizzled with honey, garlic and sea salt. Wine-Of-The-Day!” While Fox’s note read: “This wine unfolds with an enticing array of exotic Asian spices, accented by the crisp freshness of cucumber peel and the delicate tendrils of fresh pea shoots. Each element is meticulously balanced, with a little phenolic grip adding depth and dimension to the palate. Vibrant limey acidity intertwines with a luscious, mouth-filling texture, driving the wine forward with remarkable finesse. Subtle nuances of radish and hints of chives contribute to the wine’s aromatic herbaceous profile, enhancing its captivating complexity. With a focus on the citrus spectrum, it’s evident that the fruit was harvested on the earlier side, leading the wine to have a refreshing zestiness and a sense of vitality. This wine embodies a more modern approach, showcasing the winemaker’s skilful artistry. The decision to harvest the fruit slightly earlier leads to an elegant texture, heightened by a touch of skin contact. It’s a testament to precision winemaking, where every detail is carefully considered to craft a wine of exceptional balance and finesse.”
Hulme had this in his top three wines of the day, while Maltby, Rush and Fox also had it in their top selections. “Here, a whiff of kerosene barely obscures the tightly wound nose of preserved citrus, lemon thyme, bergamot, and dry spice,” noted Hulme. “There is texture and a hint of rye bread character perhaps hinting at some well-judged lees work. Despite some noticeable phenolic bitterness on the palate the wine finishes long, carried by the distinctly floral and spicy flavours.” “It was buttery, lemony, oaky, toasty and mineral with a fabulous bone-dry finish,” chimed Rush. “What a treat, and as I revisited it a couple of degrees warmer, those fun Grüner candied flavours came to the forefront, faintly reminiscent of eating a toasted vanilla marshmallow.” Fox wrote: “This wine opens with a little reductive note, adding an intriguing dimension from the start. It immediately entices with a medley of flavours, including honeydew melon, pink grapefruit, and a subtle touch of lemon curd. The harmonious interplay of citrus and stone fruit characteristics on the palate is unified by a lively lemon acidity, providing a sense of cohesion and balance. A pronounced definition emerges, with lemon citrus notes elegantly tying together the palate experience. Delicate nuances of honeysuckle, cucumbers, and green pea shoots further enrich the sensory journey, adding layers of complexity. With its impeccable balance and finesse, this wine epitomizes elegance in every sip. A seamless integration of flavours driven by crisp acidity and freshness characterizes this wine’s profile. Its inviting nose sets the stage for an unforgettable tasting experience, inviting you to delve deeper into its captivating complexity.”
This was in Wyse’s top two wines, while Campbell and Nadeson also had it in their top-six selections. “Lots of dense dusty minerality, river stones, some citrus, especially calamansim,” noted Wyse. “Smoked sea salt, lavender, and yet more minerals unwind on the mid-palate. Approaching the baroque heights that are sometimes achieved by producers in the Wachau with the variety.” “At the fuller end of the spectrum, yellow in colour, full round nose of stone fruit,” said Campbell. “The palate is all: orange segments, citrus marmalade, peach, and crushed cashews meld with almond notes. This is endearing. It’s like a hug and I want more, but I don’t know why. I keep coming back to this wine.” While Nadeson wrote: “This wine delivers delicious Grüner character in a racy yet full way. The expected lemon, lime, grapefruit are all there but this time a subtle hint of star fruit and the tropics is also detected . The palate is complex white pepper, tarragon and nectarines . The finish is long and satisfying.”
This was in Rush’s top two wines, while Fox also had it in his top-six selections. “This wine unfolds with an enticing array of exotic Asian spices, accented by the crisp freshness of cucumber peel and the delicate tendrils of fresh pea shoots,” said Fox. “Each element is meticulously balanced, with a little phenolic grip adding depth and dimension to the palate. Vibrant limey acidity intertwines with a luscious, mouth-filling texture, driving the wine forward with remarkable finesse. Subtle nuances of radish and hints of chives contribute to the wine’s aromatic herbaceous profile, enhancing its captivating complexity. With a focus on the citrus spectrum, it’s evident that the fruit was harvested on the earlier side, leading the wine to have a refreshing zestiness and a sense of vitality. This wine embodies a more modern approach, showcasing the winemaker’s skilful artistry. The decision to harvest the fruit slightly earlier leads to an elegant texture, heightened by a touch of skin contact. It’s a testament to precision winemaking, where every detail is carefully considered to craft a wine of exceptional balance and finesse.” While for Rush, the wine unlocked nostalgic olfactory memories: “How can a wine make you think of your primary school tuckshop? Grüner has been playing tricks on me where I can visualise myself in line, the smell of asphalt in the sweaty heat, salty fingers, applying Lipsmacker lipgloss with it’s peachy, lanoline flavour. The girl in front of me is sucking on a frozen cup of lime cordial and I’m up next to buy a mango Weiss bar. These flavours swim in the glass – with such a playful lime hue – and make me happy Aussie Grüner matches fun fruit character with a serving of savoury nostalgia if allowed.”
This was Dowling’s top wine of the day. “Savoury, almond mealy, nuttiness and complex nose with scents of jasmine and lime zest,” he described in his tasting note. “Super interesting flavours of grapefruit and guava on the palate. It’s a clean and bright eyed wine on one hand, and textural and complex on the other. So intriguing! Lovely long and pleasing finish, a wine of merit. Would be a super match to saucy chicken dishes or roast pork.”
“This Grüner Veltliner is a true Goldilocks wine, striking the perfect balance between richness and freshness,” said Nadeson, selecting it as his top wine of the tasting. “It opens with aromas of crisp green apple, citrus zest, and just a hint of white pepper. On the palate, flavours of ripe yellow pear, Myer lemon and chalky minerality work harmoniously. The wine has a medium body which is balanced by lively acidity – the lasting effect is you craving another sip. In one word, effortless.”
Rush had this as her top wine of the tasting. “It’s very amusing to taste an entire cheese board through a wine and probably why it was my number one,” she said. “It had every element you wanted on the board: salty, creamy brie oozing over buttery Lavosh, dried apricots, honey and it’s waxy comb. I’m shocked at how many times I wrote down toast or yeast for this bracket because I loved that the white peppery note we see and love in Grüner Veltliner also melted into crispy burnt crusts. Delicious!”
“Lilac, honeysuckle, white peach, layers of mandarin, lemon, lime leaf,” wrote Wyse, placing this as his top wine of the day. “Minerals parade through the mid-palate, complemented by cider apples and bright pear, finishing with a full fat yoghurt with a dollop of kaffir lime curd. White pepper and ginger play a supporting role. I want to drink this with a Thai larb salad or Hainanese chicken rice.”
“It isn’t often that a wine gets me feeling all of the emotions, but with this wine I experienced one of those instant, electrifying connections,” said Matlby, placing this as her top wine of the tasting. “This wine is all about the interplay of texture and spice, with a funky hit of Szechuan pepper right up front, followed by structured, chewy florals reminiscent of earl grey tea. Jasmine, ginger root and a hint of herbaceous spice tease the nose, while bright green apple, citrus zest and melon sit pretty on the mid palate. Tightly coiled in the core, with seamlessly integrated acid and elegant silty phenolics – there are no edges or straight lines here. Handling is so effortless I can almost taste the Grüner fruit. Drink the first bottle alone, for the sheer pleasure of it, and then pair the second… and third… and fourth… with a big pot of seafood chowder or some late-night dumplings.”
This was Nadeson’s second top wine of the tasting. “This wine is a luxurious and complex wine and showcases the influence of lees and perhaps oak aging,” he said. “On the nose, it exudes aromas of ripe stone fruits, such as peach and apricot, complemented by hints of lychee, tropical fruit and toasted nuts. The palate is rich and creamy, with flavours of baked apple strudel , honey, subtle spiciness and the smallest hint of vanilla. The lees aging adds a velvety texture and depth to the wine, while the use old oak imparts a roundness. A sophisticated and indulgent drinking experience.
Dowling had this in his top two wines of the day. “Exotic nose, white flowers and lychees along with tell-tale citrus fruits,” he noted. “Ripe peach, nectarine and ruby grapefruit on the palate alongside some white pepper and nashi pear. Long lingering crunchy and cleansing finish. Terrific wine!”
Wyse and Rush both had this in their top-six wines. “Layers of pineapple, starfruit, white pepper and ginger fade into a soft mid-palate of calamansi, persian cucummber, and lime curd, with some sharp minerality,” wrote Wyse. “There’s lemon verbena, thyme, and tarragon playing a supporting role. Good for sushi, smoked fish, or soft bloomy cheeses.” “Familiar flavours of apple pie, stewed Granny Smith apple, burnt sugar, flaky pastry and cream,” said Rush. “The mouthfeel was divine as it coated your tongue but finished savoury like seashell or sea spray. I am so inspired now to experiment with Grüner Veltliner – we’ve come a long way in such a short time.”
Wyse had this in his top three wines of the day. “Mango seed, ginger paste muddled with white pepper and grass,” he noted. “Palate has some ripe lime juice, nashi pear, chamomile, and there’s also a hint of passionfruit on the finish. Would be excellent with heartier fare, roast chicken, schnitzel, goulash even.”
This was in Fox’s top three wines of the tasting. He wrote, “This wine exudes a distinctively modern character, evident in its nuanced winemaking techniques. While the possibility of extended skin contact adds depth, the potential lees stirring further enhances its texture and mouthfeel. This meticulous approach amplifies the delicate fruit flavours, with granny smith apple, pear, and subtle hints of lychee delicately unfolding from the glass. Green herbaceous notes also sit on the palate, adding layers of complexity. The wine possesses a satisfying weight that enriches the overall mouthfeel, culminating in a lingering finish punctuated by white pepper spice. Indeed, this wine is a testament to the art of balance and focus on spice-driven allure, offering a contemporary interpretation that delights the senses.”
Maltby had this in her top three wines of the tasting. “Quite a classic expression of Grüner, a little shy on the nose but incredibly lengthy and present on the palate,” she said. “Green melon, jasmine and a little white stone fruit action. Beautiful tactile structure with firm coating phenolics that really draw this wine out. The palate is crisp and pure with zesty grapefruit, white pepper and fresh ginger, while a tiny hint of reduction gives a bit of roundness to the finish. Elegant and pleasing, good to impress the in-laws!”
Hulme, Campbell and Dowling all had this in their top-six wines. “Aromatic and savoury with citrus and peach fruit supporting a deeply spicy profile of white pepper, turmeric and coriander powder,” wrote Hulme. “There is a touch of pickle brine volatility here too, but the palate finishes fresh and pure.” “This wine is fine-boned and gripped with pheonic crunch,” said Campbell. “Its nose is overt and floral: jasmine, apple blossom, vanilla hints and cut thyme. The mouthfeel is medium weight with cut pear, rocket, green apple and nectarine. Some subtle lees and cheesy notes make you want for more. Looking a little oily in that viognier spectrum, but still with that Grüner spark! Turn your phone off, pass me a chicken and egg donburi from the local Japanese with some Netflix and chill, please. ON the richer end of the spectrum, there’s something for everyone here!” While Dowling noted: “Minerals and nougat on the palate, alongside some intense citrus fruit notes and crunchy bright acidity. This has poise and energy to burn, and a lingering ‘more please’ finish. If you like the whites of Burgundy or Chablis, this is a wine to seek out!”
“The nose of this wine captivates with its nuanced intricacy and restrained elegance, drawing you in from the start,” said Fox, placing this among his top selections. “Initial impressions unveil a symphony of lemon and lime citrus notes, intertwined with delicate white blossom aromas, all underpinned by a lively, zesty acidity that sets the stage for what lies ahead. Upon tasting, the fruit reveals its depth and intensity, with orchard fruits like nashi pear and green apple taking centre stage, accompanied by nuances of star fruit, celery, and chamomile. Subtle phenolic grip adds dimension to the texture, resulting in a wine that leaves a lasting impression on the palate, lingering long after each sip. In achieving the holy trinity of flavour, texture, and balance, this wine offers a truly transcendent experience for the senses. However, it’s not a wine for those seeking mindless enjoyment – rather, it demands your attention and rewards each careful sip with layers of complexity and depth. It’s the kind of wine that beckons you to savour every moment, reluctant to reach the end of its exquisite journey.”
Campbell gave this wine a top-six finish. “Wow! This is Disco is a glass. With the lead vocalist singing, ‘Hold Me, Thrill Me, Kiss Me.’ This is the wine you want at a house party. Everyone will ask you, ‘What is this?’ Its colour is iridescent. Its aromas jump from the glass, celery salt, quinine, cumquat, loads of finesse here, sublime energy, cucumber, fresh cut lime, green pear flavours, and curls of apple skin, complete the palate. It has zingy mouthwatering acids, harnessing the power of this wine. More energy here than an aerobics oz style presenter in the 80’s! Its finish is so long on the palate, yet uncomplicated. Broad fruit flavours, acid, weight, texture, phenolics, life! Just give me some pork and pistachio terrine or simple summer linguine with lemon, chilli and really good evoo. This will age for 7 – 10 years. I want a bigger glass!”
This featured in Dowling’s top-six list. “Super duper exotic nose including lychees, jasmine, white roses and Turkish delight. Awesome! More lychees on the palate alongside some grapefruit, quince and spice. Has some weight and texture, with some phenolics giving grip to the wine. Some citrus like acid brings it all together. It’s on the riper side and will please those who like riper pinot gris and chardonnay.”
“I loved how pretty this wine felt,” said Rush, placing it in her top-six wines of the tasting. “It was graceful, with lifted aromas. Jasmine and white rose petals flavours. Acid that felt enticing rather than harsh, like mouthfuls of white peach and fresh cream. A dusting of white pepper smokiness to juxtapose these light fruit characteristics. A great alternative white wine for the pinot gris drinker in the mix.”
“Some fun complexity here, with a bit of richness,” noted Maltby, placing this in her top-six. “Fresh lemon rind and makrut lime leaf are offset by spicy Thai basil and a little hint of marzipan. The palate is bright and herbaceous with great tension and plenty of silty structure. Flavours of spiced pear add generosity, but finishes strong with oodles of pepperiness. One for the cheeseboard.”
“Lovley wine, has everything to like in Grüner Veltliner,” declared Dowling, placing this in his top-six selections. “ Savoury but at the same time packed full of citrus and stone fruits on the nose and into the palate. There’s some baked apple pie creaminess to this wine, alongside some almond meal notes and ripe nectarines. Really long finish. Would suit a good old fashioned seafood stew or fish pie!”
“Distinctly Grüner Veltliner. A refreshing and high acid version with notes of white pepper, dill, and gherkin on the nose,” noted Nadeson when naming this in his top-six wines of the tasting. “On the palate, flavors of lemon, lime, grapefruit pith, green bean, and pear are also present. A very harmonious and intriguing wine.”
“Preserved citrus and ripe stone fruit take a back seat to developed honey and hay characters,” wrote Hulme in his tasting note when including this wine in his top-six selections of the tasting. “There is a distinct briny note here too, which is complemented by fresh green herbs. It is complex and aromatic. It finishes with fresh acidity that belies its rich flavour profile.”
Matlby had this in her top-six wines of the tasting. “A super refreshing style with bright aromas of lemon zest, lime pith and crisp green apple. Tightly wound on the mid palate, playful mealy texture provides depth and structure to clean green fruits, pear and melon, with just a hint of white peppercorn and coriander seed spice adding intrigue to the finish. A great entry point for a riesling lover to begin exploring grüner.”
“Starfruit and green apple nose, the palate riffs a bit on these themes with the addition of granny smith, chamomile and lavender make a mid-palate appearance,” noted Wyse, giving this wine a top-six finish. “There’s lots of minerality to complement its vibrant acidity and bright fruit character. Would be delightful with fatty fish, sashimi with ponzu, or even Korean Fried Chicken!”
With vineyards arrayed across terraces along the steep south-facing contours of its slopes, the Wachau is as blindingly impressive a wine region as any in the world. And it is from these ancient vineyards, and those that spill into the alluvial plains flanking the Danube, that Austria’s marquee grape, grüner veltliner, is perhaps best known. Most Austrian grüner is actually grown in territory far less dramatic – if still somewhat charming – and the grape has also found an increasingly significant second home on the other side of the world, with Australia the southern hemisphere’s leading grower. From the epicentre in the verdant Adelaide Hills to our first exponent in the Canberra District, grüner is making its mark, and doing so in stylish fashion.
Grüner veltliner is Austria’s definitive white variety, and definitively Austrian. Although it spills into bordering countries, Italy – or more specifically, the distinctly Germanic Alpine region of Alto Adige – Slovakia, Hungary and the Czech Republic, grüner’s identity is inextricably linked with Austria. Which is fair enough, especially when you consider that the grape has had both parents identified, one as the decidedly promiscuous traminer (a parent to a multitude of grapes) and a hitherto unidentified grape found near Sankt Georgen, in the eastern state of Burgenland. Additionally, and more importantly, Austria, and perhaps most vocally the tiny regions of the Wachau, Kamptal and Kremstal have put grüner veltliner firmly on the world map.
Occupying a place of primacy, grüner veltliner eclipses the albeit strong case of riesling to be Austria’s most valued white grape. In fact, although many wine lovers who are familiar with the great wines of Austria would peg riesling as its equal and perhaps superior, this is largely based on the tiny output grown on primary rock, often on steep stone terraced vineyards in the aforementioned regions, and most famously in the Wachau.
Riesling accounts for 4.1 per cent of the vineyard area in Austria, while grüner veltliner marshals an impressive 31 per cent of the total national vineyard area, making it the most planted variety. It’s worth pausing here to reflect on the fact that 29.5 per cent of Australia’s vineyards are devoted to shiraz, which goes some way to emphasise what an important variety grüner is to the Austrian wine psyche. Also, it’s worth noting that while that percentage figure is high, the area under vine in Austria is not, with it one of the few wine-producing countries that is firmly focused on quality wine production – aside from traditional ‘jug wine’ solely drunk locally. As an example, Bordeaux has almost three times as much area under vine as Austria.
This quality imperative of the Austrians was largely spearheaded to arrest what seemed like a terminal decline after one of wine’s most famous scandals. In 1985, a chemical used in antifreeze was discovered in Austrian supermarket wine in Germany, and unsurprisingly the Austrian wine industry went into a rapid nosedive. Although no-one died (luckily, as it’s killed thousands in other adulterated products), it tarnished the Austrian wine brand seemingly irrevocably. Even the destruction of 36 million bottles wasn’t enough to right the wrong. What followed was an extraordinary turnaround engineered over decades that saw the country focus on both their individuality as a wine-growing nation and equally on the principle of quality being of utmost importance. This approach has, no doubt, contributed heavily to the international awareness and appreciation of grüner veltliner.
Like the famous Judgment of Paris tasting of 1976, that saw Californian cabernet triumph over those of Bordeaux (a quelle horreur moment for the French), there was a similar affair held in 2002 that pitted the best of white Burgundy against the cream of the grüner veltliner crop. A suitable panel of gun tasters was in attendance, including, somewhat famously, Jancis Robinson, who has become a vocal advocate of the variety. As always seems to happen in these tastings, the underdog won (and the French were horrified once more), and the variety, and Austrian wine in general, put another foot firmly on the world stage.
Bordering southern Austria, Italy’s Alto Adige region makes a modest though not inconspicuous amount of grüner veltliner, but you will often see bottles simply labelled veltliner, which may contain grüner veltliner or frühroter veltliner (an early ripening, pink-skinned, unrelated and somewhat neutral variety) or a combination of the two. As for the countries on Austria’s other borders, you’re unlikely to find an example from any of them here, although it is the second most widely planted grape in the Czech Republic, behind the less than noble müller-thurgau. It’s grown in a very limited but still meaningful fashion in the USA and Canada, and although it is both planted in South Africa and New Zealand, with the latter showing very strong potential, the southern hemisphere home for grüner veltliner is Australia, and more specifically the Adelaide Hills, which is responsible for more vines than all the other southern hemisphere producers combined.
The first grüner produced in this country was made by Chris Carpenter from Lark Hill, in the Canberra District. In the early 2000s, while embarking on a journey that led to their vineyard’s conversion to biodynamic farming (certified in 2008), the Carpenter family were also developing a fascination with the Austrian grape.
Lark Hill is cold by any standard, with their elevation tipping out at a lofty 860 metres above sea level. This altitude compounded by the cold nights afforded by the continental climate, plus abundant growing-season sunshine, make this a place built for creating ripe yet thrillingly bright wines. When Jancis Robinson visited the vineyard in 2002, she translated this into a potential suitability for grüner veltliner (note this was the same year that she participated in that ‘Grüner vs Burgundy’ tasting). In 2004, the Carpenter family put the first vines into the ground, and that first meaningful crop resulted in Australia’s first commercial example, being the 2009 Lark Hill Grüner Veltliner, and from certified biodynamic grapes, too.
Hahndorf Hill, in the Adelaide Hills, followed suit, with their 2010 ‘Gru’ Grüner Veltliner, joining the 2010 Lark Hill as Australia’s only commercial examples at the time. Fast forward a mere decade and there are around 30 producers in the Adelaide Hills alone, with many more plantings coming on line soon, both there and in other promising areas of Tasmania, Gippsland, the Canberra District, Tumbarumba, the Eden Valley and other cool climate zones.
“For us, we had a site that suited riesling really well, and I thought this is non-aromatic, spicy, textured – it’s everything that riesling isn’t in terms of a palate concept. It’s an interesting alternative.”
Led by co-owner Larry Jacobs, who has become somewhat of the local godfather of the grape, Hahndorf Hill have come to occupy a somewhat hallowed position as a producer of grüner (along with other native Austrian varieties). They have imported six clones themselves and make no less than four varietal wines, including both a reserve and late harvest style, and the variety is treated with similar deference by other producers. Also in the Adelaide Hills, CRFT Wines make three versions from three different sites, with all seeing some skin contact, and they are made with no fining or filtration. They represent a very different side to the grape, told through three distinct territories. Other pioneers, like Geoff Hardy and Longview, are as significant for the wines they make as they are for being a source of fruit for other makers. If grüner veltliner has a spiritual home in this country, it is emphatically the Adelaide Hills.
In Tasmania, Joe Holyman of Stoney Rise, in the Tamar Valley, has been the most visible pioneer, though not terribly conspicuous at that, given his tiny production. There has been very little grown on the Apple Isle, and Holyman’s hatful was just enough to merit exposure to the market, and the press. His vines were planted in 2004 and his first commercial wine was from the 2012 vintage, though he made wine as early as 2009. The cuttings for the Lark Hill vineyard were actually sourced from Holyman, who had acquired them from a CSIRO trial, though the original cuttings have been in Australia since the ’60s. With a decade of vintages under its belt, the wine has become somewhat of a cult bottling, with strong critical praise to match, though production has remained typically meagre.
Our panel: Clint Fox, Group Beverage Director, Scott Pickett Group; Andrew Wyse, Sommelier and Importer, Cardwell Cellars; Ganesh Hulme, Head Sommelier, IDES; Hannah Maltby, winemaker, Mac Forbes Wines; Luke Campbell, Director & Head Buyer, Vinified Cellar Management; Gabriella Rush, retail professional; Patrick Dowling, Domaine Wine Shippers and Ray Nadeson, owner/winemaker Lethbridge Wines.
“I must admit, I was pleasantly surprised. I arrived at the tasting expecting rich and flabby wines, dominated by canned two fruits and tropical sun-driven flavours alongside tickled acidity and sauvignon blanc like mouthfeel,” said Luke Campbell, opening the panel discussion. “What I got was a completely different storyline… The best wines were almost savoury. Some of them had this kind of energetic texture. Some of them had real complexity. As a sommelier, or even in retail, you want to be able to present something with that palate weight, and something different, an alternative to chardonnay or an alternative to riesling, for your patrons, and it was there…”
“That’s what the Austrians have tried to position Grüner Veltliner to do: to be an alternative to textural Chardonnay, I think,” replied Andrew Wyse. “At least, the best Grüner Veltiner. It’s a ripe style, they can be, especially with age development, they can be incredibly complex. If they’re ripe, then they show a lot of fruit complexity and savouriness and texture.”
To which Hannah Maltby added, “But I did feel like these did look like Grüner. It didn’t look like Grüner trying to be Savvy, it didn’t look like Grüner try to be Chardonnay. I think there is so much that you can miss by considering it an alternative as opposed to just looking at it as ‘Grüner’ as a variety. It’s textural, and it has racy acid, and not super aromatic – but when they’re there, the aromatics are really appealing and seductive. But, as a variety on its own, it’s actually quite complex.”
“I think there is so much that you can miss by considering it an alternative as opposed to just looking at it as ‘Grüner’ as a variety. It’s textural, and it has racy acid, and not super aromatic – but when they’re there, the aromatics are really appealing and seductive. But, as a variety on its own, it’s actually quite complex.”
“What about, ‘consistency’? It blew my mind, the consistency, the familiarity, to the wines ,” posed Ray Nadeson. “How long’s the variety been in this country? 15 years… I think from a consumer point of view, it’s quite cool that there’s this consistency of vision.”
“I think having a look at where Australian Grüner Veltliner is now is really exciting,” commented Clint Fox. “I think there is a bit of disparity in this tasting where some of the lesser examples were just pushing the over-ripeness a little bit too much. I think that more modern take on wine making and how to approach the grape itself shows a lot of promise for what we can do. I think those wines that were picked slightly earlier and even some of those wines that have a little bit of skin contact, you really show the complexity you can develop and it’s not just driving Grüner to be something like Sauvignon Blanc – or something like that – it was really driving it to be in its own element, and I found that the most interesting thing and probably the most exciting thing about what we’re going to do with Grüner in the future and I think it’s really positive.”
Expanding on the styles of wines that appealed to him, Fox continued, “I had wines in my top six that I wouldn’t normally pick, stylistically, with a little bit of skin contact, and I wouldn’t really go, ‘you know, that’s where my love for Grüner is going to be,’ which I think was quite interesting. The classic styles, when you get that white pepper, is great but I think throughout the whole tasting there it was the acid driving the wine and that was across most of the wines in the bracket and that’s one of the positive things, that the acidity is there to support the fruit but also to drive the wine, and it was it was a consistency through the tasting.”
“It blew my mind, the consistency, the familiarity, to the wines ,” posed Ray Nadeson. “How long’s the variety been in this country? 15 years… I think from a consumer point of view, it’s quite cool that there’s this consistency of vision.”
“But I think physiological ripeness is also really important,” replied Wyse. “Like, some of the ones we’re obviously overripe a little bit – they’re pushing it too far on the ripeness – but when the acidity matches physiological ripeness, it’s like a game changer.”
Patrick Dowling reflected on the spectrum of styles seen with Grüner, and commented how at one end of the spectrum, you can have wines for consumers that offer an alternative to Sauvignon Blanc or Pinot Grigio drinkers in Australia, with fresh and clean flavours, through to wines that are more complex in a manner that was Chardonnay adjacent. “What I loved about that range. Yes, sometimes it was a bit too consistent – a bit samey, but I liked that I saw all these new flavours that I haven’t seen before, like nougat and lychee, and really interesting Asian fruits. The only thing that got me, was sometimes those wines that pushed the physiological ripeness went into high alcohol territory.”
Picking up on the varietal comparisons, Gabriella Rush identified opportunities to introduce the variety to uninitiated consumers. “If someone doesn’t know all of these words for ‘savory’; if words like ‘acid’ are overwhelming, I’m thinking queues like little hints of maybe Sauv-Blanc-Esque, maybe a little bit tropical, that that can be enticing for a new wine drinker to step outside their box, because it’s got somewhere to go for them… I could see so many experiences for a customer that may not have the vocabulary to soft launch into Grüner.”
Ganesh Hulme quipped, “Whenever I have someone ask for a Pinoto Gris, I give them a Grüner Veltliner.”
“Where Grüner sits really nicely, and Chardonnay and Riesling don’t, is that Grüner allows us to talk about ‘exotic fruits’. But in some cultures, they’re just normal fruits… Grüner is one of those wines that can cross cultural discussion. So much of the wine tasting world is geared towards the Western palate, Grüner is not. Grüner fits all of these moulds of spice and savouriness with sweetness – all paired together – and fruit profiles that are not just about a western palate.”
Commenting on the adaptability of the variety, Wyse offered: “It’s extremely diverse, which is one of the reasons that I think it’s a successful international great variety. From the freshest ones we tasted today which are in the citrus range with the classic ginger, white pepper and sometimes tropical fruit, to like really ripe tropical fruit, sometimes overripe tropical fruit, pineapple. Star fruit is really common for like the mid-range Grüner Veltliners and then you go into mango, rich mango…”
“That’s the thing,” said Fox, “I found lychee showing up in a lot more of the wines than I would have assumed.”
Dowling added: “Those Asian white fruits I thought were in that middle range – not too zesty and not too ‘worked’, somewhere in the middle, with a little bit of savouriness, a little bit of texture – the winemaker hasn’t completely put his or her stamp on it.”
“Yeah, you’d see that white peach come through, that white pepper was there, and then there’s a little hint of lychee coming off on the side coming off on the side,” Fox replied. “That’s quite interesting and I found myself being really drawn to those wines”
Campbell added some of the flavour markers he noted through the tasting : “Jasmine, apple blossom, lavender, rocket, white pepper, cucumber skin…”
“Yeah, the flavour wheel, it’s a big wheel, isn’t it!” Exclaimed Dowling.
“Where Grüner sits really nicely, and Chardonnay and Riesling don’t, is that Grüner allows us to talk about ‘exotic fruits’,” observed Hannah Maltby. “But in some cultures, they’re just normal fruits… Grüner is one of those wines that can cross cultural discussion. So much of the wine tasting world is geared towards the Western palate, Grüner is not. Grüner fits all of these moulds of spice and savouriness with sweetness – all paired together – and fruit profiles that are not just about a western palate.”
Wyse offered, “Grüner Veltliner is listed heavily in Asian restaurants in Japan and Hong Kong, Singapore… it’s a very successful market with the Austrian wine board.”
“Because they’re flavour reference points that people relate to more in other parts of the world,” stated Maltby.
“That’s really interesting you say that,” said Fox. “Because I’ve probably had more success with Grüner than anything else – like a Xinomavro or something else ‘alternative’ that they may not know – and putting that in front of them. I find the customers really love it. I think they get on board with it.”
Hannah Maltby has worked for Mac Forbes since 2017, initially as a cellarhand and assistant winemaker, and as winemaker since 2019. Originally from Perth, she moved to Melbourne to pursue a “misguided” career in biochemistry. She discovered a love for wine while researching smoke taint in Mildura, then moved to the Yarra in 2016 to work vintage at Giant Steps. She has also completed a couple of vintages in the Mosel. Maltby has completed the AWRI’s Advanced Wine Assessment Course, judges at wine shows, moonlights as a contract winemaker and is “deeply driven to develop and improve sustainability initiatives in our production space”.
Dr Ray Nadeson is the winemaker and owner of Lethbridge Wines. During a career researching and teaching neuroscience at Monash University, Nadeson founded Lethbridge Estate with his partner Maree Collis. He also managed to squeeze in a winemaking degree in his spare time. Since 2003, Nadeson has been focused solely on the estate, farming with biodynamic principles and making wine from home vines, select local vineyards and as far afield as Heathcote, the Pyrenees, Henty and McLaren Vale.
Patrick Dowling has had a successful career in the wine industry at state, national and international level, incorporating selling, sales team management, marketing, brand management, distributor management, vintage work, judging and ambassadorial work. Dowling has a wine marketing degree from Adelaide University, has managed a portfolio of brands for the Joval Wine Group, and been an ambassador for Penfolds in South-East Asia, the Middle East and Africa. He is currently the On-Premise National Sales Manager for Domaine Wine Shippers.
Ganesh Hulme is the Head Sommelier at Peter Gunn’s acclaimed IDES. Hulme was born and raised in Melbourne, falling into hospitality while studying Public Health at La Trobe University. That work in restaurants saw him running bar operations at Melbourne’s acclaimed Sunda, being part of the opening management in 2018. In 2019, Hulme was awarded the Laithwaite’s Prize as the highest achieving student in Australia for WSET level 2. He is currently a WSET Diploma student and an avid riesling drinker.
Andrew Wyse has worked as a Sommelier and Wine Importer for ten years, cutting his teeth in the industry as a wine importer and educator with a specialisation in German and Austrian wines in Portland Oregon, he relocated to Melbourne in 2017. In 2022 he opened Cardwell Cellars, a wine shop and bar focused on geography and wine with Swiss Cartographer Martin von Wyss of vwmaps and worldwineregions.com. Today he imports wine from Central and Eastern Europe, with a particular focus on Austrian and Hungarian wines.
Clint Fox started working in restaurants in 2007, commencing formal wine studies while working at the Melbourne Wine Room. Fox completed his WSET Diploma and has owned, operated and launched a number of Melbourne venues over the journey, and now acts as Group Beverage Director for the Scott Pickett Group.
Luke Campbell, born and raised in the Hunter Valley, Luke’s formal qualifications come from WSET, he is certified by the Association de la Sommellerie Internationale (ASI) and has completed the Advanced Wine Assessment Course (AWAC) at The University of Adelaide. Campbell launched Vinified Wine Services, a cellar management business tailored to the private collector.
Gabriella Rush is a wine retail and hospitality professional. Currently studying her WSET Diploma, she has worked vintage between Australia and France, notably with the likes of Mount Mary in Yarra Valley and Domaine Chavy Chouet in Burgundy. Her former retail roles in Melbourne have spanned from Dan Murphys as a Wine Merchant to Blackhearts North Fitzroy store Manager. Rush has also worked at Noble Rot Magazine in London, and has recently launched her own wine label, ByGab.
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