Age Is But A Number

Buying old white wine can be a minefield. Grüner Veltliner at the top end has proved to be only a small explosion to the backside.
Pichler's 'M', for example, NEEDS 10 years.
The vintage 2003 was, as in many areas of Europe, a difficult year. You either won the jackpot or ended up with a wooden spoon. Hot and full of alcohol could be a general description.
The Wachau...

Johannes Hirsch
Grüner Veltliner Ried Lamm 2003
Kamptal, Austria
The Lamm vineyard extends along the foothills just southeast of the famous Heiligenstein vineyard. The profound and fertile soil is made up of loess and plenty of loam. Though “Lamm” translates as “lamb” in English, the name for this historic vineyard actually stems from an Austrian dialect expression for “loam”. The south-facing Lamm vineyard is blessed by a highly favourable microclimate. The unique combination of soil and climate in the Lamm vineyard is responsible for classic wines that marry power and mouth-filling body with focus and firm structure – a top site for expressive, multi-layered Veltliners. 50 year old vines...
Silky and velvety...as are most GV's but this has lost it's baby fat and offers you real class. There are smokey overtones...some honeyed melons...and an after-taste to write home about. Really rate this...and the lingering finish almost gave it 18 Points....but for my wine-friends...this gets
Points 17.75

Staying in beautiful Wachau...


Finishing off the bottle above...I continued with a younger version of my favourite grape.

Alzinger Grüner Veltliner
Smaragd Loibenberg 2011
Wachau, Austria
A completely different animal...all bound up with spices and minerals....citrus notes...mandarine...and could well be a real beauty in 8 years.
Points 17