Franz Hirtzberger Smaragd Rotes Tor Gruner Veltliner 2005
Franz Hirtzberger
The character of all fine wine has its origin in the vineyard. We take special care of the vines, with short pruning, intensive canopy management, strict thinning out and rigorous selection before and during harvest. By hand picking and by passing through each vineyard several times during harvest, we can guarantee that only grapes with the highest physiological maturity are selected. Our must is fermented in steel tanks without chaptalisation until the fermentation comes to its natural standstill. Further maturation takes place in traditional large wooden casks.
Wine Advocate
Harvested November 8-10 from the steepest terraces of the Rotes Tor (adjacent to Singerriedel), Hirtzberger’s 2005 Gruner Veltliner Smaragd Rotes Tor smells of sweet pea, citrus, and rhubarb. It comes onto the palate with creamy texture yet loads of juicy fruit and positively shimmering wet stone, salty mineral expression. Like its Federspeiel counterpart, this exhibits great clarity of fruit, even though one can detect accents of honey and brown spice attributable to botrytis. A brothy, rich meld of stone, spice, and fruit pours itself into a long, evocative finish that outdistances all but a handful of other Gruner Veltliner from this vintage. I would be unafraid to stash some of this in my cellar for a decade or more – indeed I would regret not doing so, and while I was at it I would track some bottles of the Federspiel as well.
Score: 94.
—David Schildknecht,
August
2006.
Wine Spectator
Lush and seductive, with layers of ripe peach, grapefruit, mineral and smoke flavors and plenty of tropical fruit notes. The finish is very creamy, with nutmeg and vanilla. Should go well with roasted pork. Drink now through 2010.
Score: 91.
—Kim Marcus,
May
15,
2007.
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