Weingut Stefan rosner Gruner veltliner Hauswein – Organic
It’s no stretch to say that Stefan Rosner is a rising star on the Austrian wine scene. Having recently taken over the reins from his father Norbert, who converted the vineyards to organic farming,Stefan works in a tiny underground cellar that is cut into the stone beneath one of the oldest vineyards in Langenlois, Austria (one of a handful that Stefan’s family has been farming since the late1800s).
Just a few steps from well-known neighbors like Brundlmayer, Stefan produces wine in an impressive diversity of styles: from the angular freshness of his screw-cap Gruner, Rose’, and Zweigelt, to the savory skin-fermented “Wildrose” whites, up to the startlingly deep and layered “reserve” level Rieslings, Grüners and varietal reds from single crus. Extremely attentive farming, straight-shooting, and open/warm-hearted people.
Stefan notes that “our vineyards are free from chemical fertilizers and herbicides due to the great work of my father for more than a decade now (Certified Organic since 2010). It is important for me to also pursue a more natural approach during processing and fermenting of the wines.” And those philosophies are evident in today’s liter of Grüner Veltliner. Although labeled as a generic “landwein,” this is anything but as it is a masterful blend of their premier, organically farmed vineyard sites, from the 2021 vintage. In the winery, it’s all about a quick, natural process: unmanipulated fermentation and a brief stainless steel maturation on lees.
Stefan Rosner’s liter of Grüner is delicious and thirst-quenching, all while retaining the hallmarks of this über-classic Austrian grape. It cascades out of the bottle with unrivaled freshness and a dazzling mixture of zesty citrus, light spice, damp white flowers, arugula, white pepper, and beautifully ripe green apple. This is unequivocally pure, deeply refreshing Grüner Veltliner with organic grapes, moderate alcohol, and an unadulterated process in the cellar, it’s also a liberating, guilt-free drinking experience!