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Martin Muthenthaler

The Muthenthaler family bought this estate in 1894 and ran it as a mixed farm. It was the current owner, Martin Muthenthaler, a trained mechanic, who specialized in wine in 2006, initially with 2.5 hectares of vineyards and a Buschenschank(the local name for Heurigen, where wineries can serve their own wine alongside simple food, a right enshrined in law since 1784)–which he ran until 2011 when he first started exporting wines–and putting the Spitzer Graben on the map. The area used to be too cool to ripen grapes reliably and is, to a degree, still marginal. Today, he farms six hectares and notes that he learned “by doing, tasting, experimenting and because I can listen.” Muthenthaler noted that decisions are down to “gut feel” rather than science. Since 2021, he has been joined by his wife, Melanie Muthenthaler. The varietal split is 60% Grüner Veltliner and 40% Riesling. Muthethaler avoids skin contact to preserve acidity, even though there is flexibility on this when it comes to Riesling. The single-site wines are made in wood, and the rest in stainless steel. A new cellar, for more space, is currently in construction and will also feature a tasting room. I tasted mostly 2022 wines, and Muthethaler noted that in this cool end of the Wachau, in the Spitzer Graben, “2022 was not easy – very wet, very cool. In September, just before harvest, there was still more rain, and it was difficult for the grapes to ripen. We had to be very selective; any unripe grapes were discarded, taking a lot of effort. We harvested for six weeks, starting in early October, almost into November.” Muthenthaler’s wines are marvels of poise and precision, absolutely concentrated but with thrilling freshness – expressing the Spitzer Graben perfectly. I did not taste the Grüner Veltliner and Riesling from the single site Brandstatt as they were sold out and unavailable for tasting since just 400 bottles of each were made.

From 2023 Wachau and Lower Austria: Mercurial Weather Gods Smiled in the End (Jul 2024) by Anne Krebiehl MW

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2022 Grüner Veltliner Vergelt's Gott

Color: White

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