Welcome, to Weinrieder!
For this week's mixed case, we would like to transport you to the white wine-making haven of Austria. Cutting through the noise, and standing out amongst the sea of peppery Austrian Gruner Veltliners flooding the market these days, is nigh on impossible. Nonetheless, buried deep within Austria’s largest wine-growing region, Weinviertel, based on the outskirts of the tiny 350-strong town of Kleinhadersdorf, Friedrich Rieder and his family have garnered themselves a reputation as one of the finest white wine producers in Austria. Highly sought after by many of the world’s leading restaurants and sommeliers, we are confident that the wines we bring you today will blow you away. Welcome, to Weinrieder.
Situated high in the far north-east corner of the country, the climate here is cool, and there is an immense focus at Weinrieder on the entire growing cycle and really pushing the extremes in terms of harvest, while preserving the quality of the fruit. The predominately loess and loam soils help to impart minerality, which offsets and compliments the characteristic “pepper” spiciness found throughout the region. Friedrich feels that, as so often in cool climate winemaking, preparation and the timing, and careful execution of the harvest are his most important tools. The equipment in the cellar is relatively simple and straightforward, just well-manicured stainless-steel tanks for long cool fermentations. You will find no fancy technology here, there are no tricks, just masters of their craft, who live and breathe their land and vines. Much like Jean Boxler in Alsace, Friedrich seems to achieve an effortless natural balance in all his wines, they are lively, rich, intense and yet, unbelievably refined and mineral.
“Fritz and his son Lukas Rieder have bottled a fascinating series … The wines have always been excellent, but now they are great and among the finest produced today in this region.”
Robert Parker | THE WINE ADVOCATE (Stephan Reinhard)
This is a special offer six-bottle mixed case, containing the following wines:
2 x 2020 Gruner Veltliner ‘Klassik’ - £13.60
1 x 2019 Grüner Veltliner ‘Ried Schneiderberg’ - £15.10
2 x 2015 Riesling ‘Kugler’ - £20.10
1x 2013 Gruner Veltliner ‘Hohenleiten’ - £35.85
Normal Retail Price – 118.35
SPECIAL PROMOTIONAL PRICE – 105.95
Our ‘Welcome, to Weinrieder’ mixed case opens with Friedrich’s Gruner ‘Klassik’, which offers a lovely introduction to the style of Weinrieder, whilst being a delicious and classic example of the grape variety and remaining light and approachable. We then take it up a notch with the more refined, powerful and serious single vineyard cuvée ‘Ried Schneiderberg’. Following this is Weinrieder’s Riesling ‘Ried Kugler’: a glorious expression of an Austria style of Riesling. It is rich and full on the palate, with a welcome mineral backbone and honeyed baked apple and hints of tropical fruit on the palate. Then to finish, we have a wine that is only produced on the very best vintages, that can only be described as one of the finest expressions of Gruner Veltliner you may ever taste: Friedrich’s ‘Pièce de Résistance’, the absolutely stunning old vine selection Gruner Veltliner ‘Hohenleiten’ 2013 Cuvée. All of the wines are also available individually, as well as part of this mixed case.
Defining his region, Friedrich Rieder is a farmer at heart, a true artisanal winemaker, honouring and caring for his land and its produce about all else. This is low intervention, intuitive winemaking at its best and we couldn’t be happier to share a few of him and his family’s stunning wines with you today.