2018 WEINHOFMEISTEREI MATHIAS HIRTZBERGER
Austria’s wine-growing region is located mostly in and around the Wachau Valley, along the Danube River, about an hour west of Vienna. It is known for its apricot and grape farms, and one type of grape in particular. The deeply-rooted and widely-underappreciated Wachau Valley has been producing tasty wines since the 13th Century. However, they have yet to make a big splash outside of Central and Eastern Europe. This means there are still many hidden gems to be discovered.
Chances are, if you’ve tried an Austrian wine, it’s from the grape varietal known as Grüner Veltliner. Often compared to Riesling, the taste is crisp and refreshing with a citrus-zipped acidity. Imagine a light tart of lemon-lime.
I’ve sampled many Gruner Veltners over the years (mostly at wine tastings and dinners), but quite honestly, this was my first bottle. Sampling multiple glasses does allow one to absorb the bouquet — well, that’s my excuse and I’m sticking to it. Repeated sips (rather than one sip) do alter one’s perception of any wine, turning any dislike into hate and any like into love. My personal barometer on wine tasting by the bottle is — if I enjoy the *final* sip as much as (or more) than the *first* sip, that wine is a winner.
The Mathias Hirtzberger (vintage 2018) is a winner. This is a splendid warm-weather refresher sure to be a crowd-pleaser. At $23-30 a bottle (I’ve seen a wide range of pricing on this wine), the elevated entry price-point won’t move many cases off the shelf of your local wine retailer (if you can find it), nor will this ever become mass-produced. But as a boutique departure and as a perfect springtime sampler, this beauty will please any palate.
Admittedly, my experience with Gruner Veltners still remains limited, and I can’t compare the Mathais Hirzberger to other similar producers, including Domäne Wachau, FX Pichler, or Karl Lagler, arguably the three best-known winemakers in Austria (which import to the U.S.). I look forward to continuing my, ahem, “education.”
Grading the 2018 Weinhofmeisterei Mathias Hirtzberger Gruner Veltner Treau Federspiel:
Price: $24-30
Alc. Content: 12.5 pct.
Presentation: 8/10
Taste: 8/10
Originality: 7/10
Value: 4/10
Overall Grade: 6.5/10
Note: Thanks to Bruce Frank for making this review possible. Bruce orders wine regularly and wanted to share the experience, so he sent me nearly identical duplicates. This unreciprocated generosity gives me a unique chance to try new wines and sample winemakers I wouldn’t normally pay for on my own. Thanks to Bruce for this wonderful gift of knowledge….and the gift of wine!