Martin Muthenthaler Gruner Veltliner Viesslinger Stern 2019

“From the oldest vines on very shallow mica schist soils, the 2019 Viesslinger Stern Grüner Veltliner is from a 0.7-hectare monopole that is planted with Riesling and Grüner Veltliner, the latter of which is at least 60 years old. Vinified in a single 600-liter oak barrel, the wine opens precise yet currently more herbal, grassy and spicy than fruity and is clearly characterized by its schist terroir. Very elegant on the palate, with ripe and juicy fruit and crystalline mineral acidity, this is a leaner but elegant and textured cru with remarkable finesse and fine salinity on the long and lemon-tart finish. This is excellent but could easily be mixed up with Riesling in a blind tasting. The last plot tasted, with 3.1 pH in the must. 13.5% alcohol. Tasted at the domaine in June 2021. Drink: 2021-2060. 95 points

“2019 was also a warm vintage, like actually all in the last years except 2020,” says Martin Muthentaler, who always comes later with his wines on the market than most of his colleagues. “However, there was always sufficient water in 2019 and never any real dry or stress periods as was the case in 2018. The autumn was downright brilliant, while it had been far too warm in 2018.” And September 2019 was just about perfect, he says. “Not too hot during the day and always cool at night and in the morning. That kept the acidity fresh. Add to that the low pH levels, and it was a real storybook vintage for me, with no botrytis, nothing that could have complicated the harvest.” The quantity was a bit smaller than 2018, but as Muthenthaler says, “I’m not concerned with quantity anyway. I farm six acres of vines; what I need, I always get.”

In the new year, Muthentahler wants to build a new cellar to have more space. He then also wants to have it certified. He has been farming his vineyards organically for years anyway but without certification. Muthenthaler only processes his own grapes, but after new plantings even in his own holdings, he always has to wait three years until these areas are also certified, otherwise he would have to process them separately, which hardly makes sense with the relatively small quantity. In any case, he can only buy in the villages sites but rarely in the crus. He would only expand here if he could get neighboring pieces to his sites at a good price.”

Stephan Reinhardt, Wine Advocate (12/21)