January 2012

With so much of today’s wine coming from mechanically-farmed flat land vineyards, direct human interaction with the vines and fruit is minimal at best.  There are, of course, plenty of hand-farmed vineyards out there, but few are as challenging to work as those in Austria’s Wachau. Like the historic vines of Spain’s Priorat or France’s Norther Rhone, the Wachau’s terraced vineyards are filled with deep-rooted old vines inaccessible by vehicles, so they must be worked by hand – which is highly labor intensive.  And this is why many of the old terraces are in danger of being abandoned – something that would ultimately change the landscape of the Wachau in the future.

So, starting in 2008, Peter Veyder-Malberg made it his goal to acquire exposed cool-site terraces with mainly old vines (30-50 years of age) and protect them from being cleared. Although this means pure handwork, Peter is convinced that the qualities of the wines are so unique, so full of character and spectacular, that this work will be repaid many times over. A dedicated organic farmer who has made wines for two decades, Peter’s desire is to produce exceptional, expressive, and vibrant wines.  Look for the “handarbeit” signature on Peter’s bottles, a stamp that his wines are “handmade.”

These are fine, extremely elegant wines with a filigree minerality.  They are likely to be closed in their youth, but have amazing aging potential. And they are also hard to find in the retail marketplace; we are very pleased to have a few cases each of the three below, arriving this week:

Veyder-Malberg Gruner Veltliner Kreutles 2009 $21.90 Wine Spectator 90 Points sold out

“Pure, racy and refined, with intense mineral notes to the fresh-cut apple and pear flavors. The focused finish of mineral and spice has plenty of cut. Drink now through 2020.”

Veyder-Malberg Gruner Veltliner Hochrain 2009 $29 Wine Spectator 90 Points sold out

“Creamy and rich-tasting, with apple tart, peach, pear and baked pineapple flavors. The focused finish features ripe, spicy notes and plenty of vanilla. Drink now through 2016.”

Veyder-Malberg Riesling Bruck 2009 $33 Wine Spectator 90 Points sold out

“There’s good cut and intensity to the mineral, spiced apple and pear tart flavors in this racy and pure-tasting white, which is rich and expressive on the finish, with plenty of jellied citrus and spice notes. Drink now through 2020.”