Two fine Austrian white wines: Zierfandler 2015 trocken, Winzergenossenschaft Gumpoldskirchen with Grüner Veltliner 2017, Domaine Huber, Traisental. Comparing a forward-thinking bottle of Zierfandler from Gumpoldskirchen with a classic Grüner Veltliner from Traisental.
Zierfandler 2015 trocken, Winzergenossenschaft Gumpoldskirchen
Zierfandler varietal, which is usually planted in the higher vineyards between the village and the forest.
Fine elderflower colour in the glass.
Tastes with definite hints of almond or marzipan with a pleasing sweetness to the taste.
After-taste pleasant, not bitter nor sweet
Distinctive, sense of a single vineyard, a single terroir The more yeasty of these two wines.
Grüner Veltliner 2017, Domaine Huber, Traisental, which is a newish area of production, defined relatively recently.
In comparison:
A more delicate colour in the glass with a greenish tinge to the light beige. Distinctly more dry. Delicate and refined and tastes like it smells: gooseberry/kiwi starfruit.
Definite oaky taste.
Although labelled “Single Estate”, there’s more sense of blend, of balance but therefore less distinctive.
Both bottles have metal caps so not developing in the bottle.
The above is tasting with light cheese and biscuits. Then Terry cooked for us a fine plate of veal in orange cream sauce (Ta Terry). Drinking and comparing the two wines with this food: the Zierfandler from Gumpoldskirchen seemed too specific to drink with food, too much character so it fought in taste with the food rather than both highlighting each other’s flavour sensations; the more generic Grüner Veltliner balances the meat better but doesn’t upstage it.
Conclusion: Gumpoldskirchen Zierfandler good for aperitif so as to show its distinctive character.
Thanks to Wolf for the Zierfandler