2006 Ludwig Hiedler Grüner Veltliner Thal

Riesling-like scents of lime and tangerine zest rise from the 2006 Gruner Veltliner Thal, which hits the palate with all the frisky citricity that this description suggests. And yet, there is a subtle suggestion of creaminess here too. One certainly notes fullness here from the 14.1% alcohol, but not only is this (I started to write “Riesling”) free of heat, it’s full of energy and refreshment. The finish is smoky and pungent, with green tea, blond tobacco, bitter-sweet citrus oils and Sichuan pepper pungency. This should be worth following for at least 6-8 years. Ludwig Hiedler continues his new, risk-taking cellar approach (discussed in Issue 166), and there are several changes in his line-up that will be detailed below at the appropriate juncture. The harvest here neatly filled the month of October, though Hiedler says he would have happily picked earlier and had lower levels of alcohol if only the grapes had tasted ripe. Still he seemed as pleasantly surprised as I was that alcohol was not more evident on the palate, no doubt in part a tribute to the slower (spontaneous) fermentations and longer lees contact that Hiedler’s wines are now getting. “With these long fermentations,” Hiedler notes, “the acid levels drop, but despite that the impression of acidity is still imposing.” Incidentally, Hiedler has begun offering his clients the choice between screw cap and cork, with the result that his wines in the U.S. will have screw cap closures while – for the time being at least – one will be more apt to find corks sealing his wines in the Austrian market. Importer: Terry Theise Estate Selections, imported by Michael Skurnik Wines, Inc., Syosset, NY; tel. (516) 677-9300