Arndorfer, "Anina Verde Kamptal" 2018

From within one of the oldest, most globally recognized fine-wine regions of Austria, and from within two of their more prominent families, emerge Martin and Anna Arndorfer of Weingut Arndorfer whose enterprise carries with it the legacy of Kamptal’s elegant and powerful Grüners & Rieslings though on markedly more modern, experimental, and – of course – natural terms. The Kamptal is a region of Austria within Lower Austria (Neiderosterreich) and is, despite the name, in the northeast of the country. It is a region defined by river valleys and complex geologic fans of ancient volcanic deposits and a topsoil of decomposed loess. The main river of the region is the one after which it is named: the Kamp. Distinguishing the appellation into a kind of binary – though its gifts are manifold – west of the river is Langenlois and east of the river is Straß im Straßertale, the two principal wine-growing areas of the Kamptal river valley. In the latter, the Arndorfer wines stand out for their spiritual clarity – that is, their excellence exemplified by wines with bright acidity paired with some power  – in addition to their experimental devotion. It is our utmost privilege and pleasure to present to you these new wines of an old region, imbued with the kind of honesty we love nothing more than to spotlight.

Tasting: This skin-fermented white of Gruner grapes and Riesling skins is a deliciously aromatic summer white made for a day at the beach. On the nose, ripe mango and bananas, lavender and jasmine. A touch of residual sugar heightens the fruit on the palate, which is also tropical: pineapple and mango, with a hint of fig. Thankfully amidst all of this summer fruit, a salty, oceanic tang lovingly greets the sweetness. The mix of sweet and mineral saltiness is a culinary delight, and makes this wine a perfect pairing for a bright green salad. Serve cold.

Vinificaton: 100% Gruner hand-harvested from 28 year-old vines grown on loess soils at 270m elevation. The Riesling, from which only the skins are used, is sourced from 34 year-old vines grown on rocky loess at 274m elevation. Gruner grapes are whole-bunch pressed and while spontaneously fermenting with only ambient yeasts, Riesling skins are added for ~10 days to the fermenting Gruner juice. Élevage is 4 months (2/3 in stainless stell, 1/3 in used French oak). Malolactic fermentation is achieved and the wine is bottled unfined, unfiltered with minimal additional SO2.