2005 Nigl Grüner Veltliner Privat

Cool, rather minerally nose. Grainy, textured somehow but with good intense mildly exotic tropical flower-like flavours. Lychees? Very good balance with lovely acidity to balance a lot of ripe fruit. Exciting wine! Maybe not for the very long term? Very persistent though. (JR)

Nigl’s 2005 Gruner Veltliner Privat – as usual from old vines in the Piri, harvest November 25, two weeks later than the main picking – announces itself with high tone aromas of lemon, orange, and spearmint as well as snap pea and tobacco, then comes to the palate deceptively delicate yet deft in its union of juicy pit fruits, sweet herbs and flowers, citrus oil, ginger spice. This delicacy belies the enormous torque exhibited in a stunningly long finish that reprises the wine’s varied citrus, herb, spice, pit fruit themes. Any overtly mineral or stone expression – like the wine’s 13.5% alcohol – are entirely sublimated. Nigl insists that this wine – one month in the bottle – is not showing nearly all that it’s got. If that’s so, watch out! But in any case, don’t hesitate to cellar some for a dozen or more years. (The outstanding 2004, incidentally – when tasted side-by-side on this occasion – seemed marginally less refined and complex.) Importer: Terry Theise Estate Selections, imported by Michael Skurnik Wines, Inc., Syosset, NY; tel. (516) 677-9300