2023 Hiedler Grüner Veltliner Kittmannsberg, Kamptal

I love the youthful vibrance and complex citrus character of this focused and quite sleek medium-bodied gruner veltliner. Excellent energy and wild herb character in the long, intensely stony finish. Drink or hold. Screw cap

94 points James Suckling

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’s thoughtful approach, producing wines that put vineyard character firmly ahead of cellar theatrics. Kittmannsberg is one of Langenlois’ distinctive elevated sites, an open, gently sloping vineyard where deep loess soils give Grüner Veltliner generosity and texture while the cool Kamptal nights preserve freshness.

The 2023 vintage brought beautifully ripe fruit and plenty of aromatic character. Kittmannsberg’s deep loess — wind-blown deposits accumulated over thousands of years — is particularly well suited to Grüner, giving the wine breadth and savoury depth. Warm daytime influences meet cooler air from the Waldviertel at night, helping retain the acidity and peppery snap that stop all that generous fruit becoming heavy.

Pale gold with green highlights, the nose opens with ripe pear, yellow apple and white peach, followed by lemon peel, fennel and fresh herbs. With air come hints of white pepper, celery leaf, crushed stone and a little almond. The palate is juicy and textured, with orchard fruit and citrus carried by lively acidity. There’s a lovely savoury quality through the middle — pear skin, herbs and pepper — before a long, dry finish with lemon oil and a salty little bite.

This is a brilliant food wine: Wiener schnitzel with potato and cucumber salad, roast pork with crackling, asparagus with brown butter, pork dumplings with ginger or grilled trout with horseradish cream. Our pick is the roast pork, salty crackling, juicy meat and mustard against Grüner’s pear, herbs and pepper is enough to make Riesling slightly jealous.

Cellaring: Drink now to 2035.