Laurenz V. is an Austrian winemaker focusing exclusively on Grüner Veltliner with five amusingly named styles. Two are reviewed below, and in the same way that Riesling can be made in a wide range of sweetness and acidity, it's nice to see a single producer doing the same with Grüner. I assumed at first that the "V" stood for a lengthy and difficult to pronounce surname, but he is Laurenz Maria Moser the Fifth, member of a family that has been in the wine business since 1124. I love the simple, straightforward design of these labels, and nicknames like "Sunny" are an excellent way to differentiate and demystify a product line like this.
First up is the younger, more casual of the two: the 2009 Laurenz und Sophie Singing Grüner Veltliner, $15, 12% abv. This comes from the Kremstal region in northeast Austria. Crisp lemongrass, light body, very short finish. Made with his daughter Sophie, this is a fun, relaxing wine that is great chilled and would be a perfect match for salads and cold pasta dishes. Think picnics and summer lunches.On the more serious side is the 2006 Laurenz V. Charming Grüner Veltliner, $27, 13% abv. This is from the Kamptal region, directly north and adjacent to the Kremstal. I was extremely impressed with this wine, and to enjoy this properly you'll want to make sure it doesn't get too cold. Rich, earthy, mineral, long and slightly bitter finish. It is drier than the Singing wine, with less fruit. I found myself craving grilled trout. Because the flavors here are more subtle, you'll want to enjoy this with milder dishes so that those quiet notes are not lost.
This is a great time to be an Austrian wine fan, because the quality is superb, the prices are affordable, and the availability is getting better every day. There are far fewer producers than in Germany, so the selection at the wine shop or on a wine list is not quite as imposing if you're just getting into the scene. I look forward to trying the remaining three Laurenz V. wines in the future.
Note: These wines were received as samples.
4 comments:
Do like some groon, but based on something you said, I'm still waiting to find a wine shop or restaurant with an "imposing" selection of German wines. Usually, it's a few of the same selections everywhere, which is unfortunate.
Granted, those beireich and anbaugebiete and any wine called "trockenbeerenauslese" can be imposing, though. The German language in general can be pretty imposing, I suppose.
Joe,
The marketing is improving, but I always try to look at these things through the eyes of a wine novice. Imagine a shelf with a dozen German wines on it. All have white labels, long German words, and little shields on them. They're all Riesling, but range from bone dry to super sweet.
If the same person looks at a dozen wines from Chile, or Australia, or California, he's going to see a variety of different grapes, labels that range from serious to stupid, and probably be able to pick out a desired wine much faster and with less anxiety.
I'm not saying every wine region needs to adopt the Australian marketing model, but I thought this product line presented an excellent design strategy: if you know the different regions of Austria and how age affects Grüner, that information is there for you. But you can also tell somebody, "Pick up the one with the orange screwcap that says Singing." 5 different simple nicknames, 5 different colors.
It makes you wonder if that had anything to do with the popularity of Blue Nun over the years. It's certainly not the best German wine out there, but ordering it didn't require any wine knowledge whatsoever, just a nickname and a blue bottle. :)
Cheers,
Benito
Those GVs were delicious & I can easily see sipping on them all summer long. Thanks for bringing them!
Michael,
Glad you enjoyed them, and I look forward to all your posts on the Portland trip!
Cheers,
Benito
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