Weingut Franz Hirtzberger Honivogl Gruner Veltliner Smaragd 2021

Drink it now or cellar for up to 20 years. No need to decant.

The family-run Franz Hirtzberger winery is located on a former farm dating back to the 13th century in the Wachau wine region of Austria. The company, now run by Franz Hirtzberger senior with his son Franz, has a long winemaking tradition and owns around 20 hectares of vineyards. In the cellar, they combine modern techniques with traditional methods, while the work in the vineyard is exclusively manual.

The Grüner Veltliner grapes for this wine come from the Honivogl site located at the foot of the Singerriedel (one of the most prestigious sites for Riesling production) with a southerly orientation. Here the unique terroir and the perfect climatic conditions, favored by the proximity of the Danube, guarantee the production of excellent quality wines characterized by surprising longevity.

Honivogl Gruner Veltliner Smaragd has a clear pale golden-yellow color with bright silver highlights. On the nose, it reveals a broad and complex aromatic profile with notes of stone fruit and tropical fruit, citrus peel, and honey, accompanied in the background by light smoky hints. On the palate, it is intense and juicy, powerful and balanced. It has a good fruit concentration and a well-defined and perfectly integrated acid vein. The finish is long and mineral. It is ready to drink now paired with fried fish or Viennese escalopes, but it can remain in the cellar for over a decade.