2010 Nigl Grüner Veltliner Herzstück vom Kirchenberg

“Since I thought its quality was especially high,” explains Nigl with what turned out to be understatement, “I elected to bottle a (1,500 liter) cask of 2010 Gruner Veltliner Herzstuck von Kirchenberg” from the “heart” of a site all of whose fruit has otherwise gone into the Piri. I tasted this off of its fine lees, and Nigl did not plan to bottle it before this year’s harvest; possibly not until the end of the year; with release (including U.S. availability) scheduled for next spring. A subtly satiny texture is allied to refreshing, entirely harmonious acidity in a wine that displays the sort of shimmering interaction of mineral and herbal elements with snap pea and winter pear that has memorably informed some of this grower’s greatest hits. An umami-rich savor of blond tobacco and cardamom-spiced, roasted root vegetables; along with saliva-liberating salinity lends depth and compulsive allure to an already dynamic finish. While it could change significantly between now and bottling, I envision this being as long-lived as any of the best past Nigl Gruner Veltliner, which would mean to expect at least 12-15 years of delight. “We really only began the 2010 harvest at the same point in early November where we had finished picking in 2009,” relates Martin Nigl, “and I think that this was enormously advantageous (in 2010) to maximize physiological maturation. We weren’t done until November 25.” The musts for several lighter wines were marginally de-acidified; the rest were, in Nigl’s words “de-acidified on the vine.” Time on the fine lees was no doubt also important, and it seems that temperatures may not have piqued acids to the extent that they did in the nearby Kamptal. (For some notes about Nigl’s diverse and distinctive sites, consult my reviews in issue 181 as well as in other previous Austrian reports.) Importer: Terry Theise Estate Selections, imported by Michael Skurnik Wines, Inc., Syosset, NY; tel. (516) 677-9300