Estoras Grüner Veltliner, Esterházy, Burgenland 2021

Austria. Country of mountains, lakes, wiener schnitzel and sachertorte. Mozart, Haydn, Klimt. Then grüner veltliner. The nations signature white wine varietal. In the case of today's offer, it's more specifically Weingut Esterházys fresh, fruity, floral, vibrant, gloriously food friendly grüner veltliner. A white wine that'll be seeing more of my garden over the spring and summer. More than any other, in fact.

I spent much of the weekend there, where I enjoyed an early evening aperitif whilst admiring the tulips on the Saturday, and where on the Sunday afternoon I was also grilling fish over charcoal. On both occasions the wine that kept me company was Esterházys. In fact, I even opened another bottle on Sunday evening, despite the cooler weather (which called out for a warming fish chowder). Because this wine is just so enjoyable and so food friendly. Such that I often find it a superior alternative to sauvignon blanc - or even chardonnay!

But what makes this grüner so special?
Whilst considerable volume is grown in the Niederösterreich region (on the steep slopes along the Danube River), Esterházy's is grown in Burgenland, to the south of Vienna. Here, summers are long and hot. Conditions to imbue this wine with added dimension beyond grüner's hallmark freshness. In the 2021 vintage, there are initial aromas of fresh green apple, but then more prominent stone fruit aromas become evident: white peach, apricots, tropical papaya. The palate boasts that citrus zip of lime, grapefruit, and refreshing apple, but also subtle pear and a wonderfully creamy texture. Supreme. Don't miss this.

PS - Wine-Pages.com's Tom Cannavan has reviewed the 2021 vintage, and he agrees. (Read full quote below).

- James Ayers, Purchasing Manager, FromVineyardsDirect.