~$US15, 100% Grüner Veltliner, Kamptal Austria
Lemony-limey nose with some mushroom earth-funk. Lush Creamsicle body with tons of mandarin orange. Wonderful acidic lift beneath the soft body. Expressive chalky and spicy finish. Lipsmaking wine and gobsmacking value.
2 very interesting wines in the sub-$12 range. Both sort of one-trick-ponies, but the tricks were distinctive and cool. The Zantho was light bodied but almost overwhelmingly lemony and piney - aromatically and on the palate. Very purfumed. Mineral / stoniness comes across as a supporting role from nose to finish. Pine Sol exactly. Bone dry. Fresh, bright acidity means this would pair great with shellfish and seafood. Interestingly, I left this in the decanter overnight to taste in the morning - and it tasted even better?! The acidity integrated and the wine overall was a little plumper and softer. I’d love to see what a dry Muscat tastes like after 15 years in the cellar…anyone have that opportunity?
The Riondo Prosecco was all about Banana Now-and-Laters (my wife pinpointed this - thanks m) and white balsamic vinegar. Tiny bubbles filled the palate, with a very light and ethereal body. Refreshing and probably better before dinner than with the Thai and Sushi we enjoyed (which wasn’t a bad match by any means). This is quite dry, but I did detect a slight residual sugar to keep it drinkable and balance the acidity. Fun and cheap - everyone should have a bottle on hand for nights when champagne might be too opulent, and beer doesn’t suit the mood.
Hofer Gruner Veltliner, Frieberg 2005:
Very light straw color. Very aromatically complex and expressive nose; mercurial transitions through apple skin, some cherry, lime, white peach, bok choy, haricot verts, toasted bread, and gravel. Characteristic aromas of Old-world Rieslings, Chenin Blancs, and Sauv Blancs all seem to pop in and out of focus. Bone dry, with such an intense mineral-water/saline character it’s almost obnoxious. The finish is just a gravelly landslide that smooths out over a minute. Refreshing; begging for the next sip. This could stand up to hard-to-pair foods like Mexican and Japanese. For terroir-hounds like myself, this is a revelation - so much of the vineyard and the vintage is there to discover and taste. Fans of Sancerre, Poully-Fume, and dry Rieslings owe themselfves a taste of this value monster.
Curatolo Grillo Tumoli, Sicilia 2006:
A little tighter on the nose, showing mysterious floral, citrus and peach-pit notes. Big, on the palate, but with a great linearity and focus. Clean and fresh. Acidity is very balanced - not sour but punchy enough to give structure and direction. Overall the fruit is restrained (it’s there, but not centerstage), but there is a great underlying river-rocks-and-flowers foundation that makes the wine real. Grilled shrimp or squid would love this.
Both can be found under $14US with little hunting . To my tastes, the Hofer had the edge (mainly in aromatics and overall complexity), but I feel more people might enjoy the Grillo as a patio-pounder-eay-drinking-weeknight-white.
