2022 Hiedler Thal Gruner Veltliner, Kamptal

Bright yellow gold, silver reflections. Delicate orange zest, yellow apple, fine blossom honey. Juicy, complex, fresh acidity, white apple fruit, lime on the finish, salty and youthful, a food wine full of finesse with good ageing potential.

93 points Falstaff

Weingut Hiedler has been part of Langenlois since 1856, making it one of the historic family estates of Austria’s Kamptal. Today Ludwig and Dietmar Hiedler continue the family tradition with a wonderfully vineyard-focused approach. Thal is a distinctive site close to Langenlois, where Grüner Veltliner develops a lovely combination of ripe orchard fruit, herbal detail and the peppery savouriness that makes the variety such a brilliant food wine.

The 2022 season was warm, but Kamptal’s dramatic temperature swings helped maintain freshness. Cool air flowing down from the Waldviertel at night slows ripening and preserves acidity, while the vineyard’s mineral-rich soils bring texture and an earthy undertow. With a few years in bottle, the wine is beginning to move beyond youthful fruit into a more savoury and layered expression.

Pale gold in the glass, the nose opens with ripe pear, yellow apple and quince alongside lemon peel, fennel and white pepper. With air come hints of chamomile, celery leaf, fresh almond and crushed stone. The palate is juicy and gently textured, with orchard fruit balanced by bright acidity and Grüner’s characteristic peppery bite. Pear skin, herbs and citrus oil build through the middle before a dry, savoury finish of almond and spice.

This is crying out for Wiener schnitzel, roast pork belly with mustard, grilled trout with brown butter, asparagus with hollandaise or pork dumplings with ginger and spring onion. Our pick is the pork belly, crisp crackling, juicy meat and mustard against Grüner’s pepper, herbs and acidity could turn a sensible lunch into something considerably less sensible.

Cellaring: Drink now to 2033.