2013 Grüner Veltliner Scheiben

“Roter Veltliner is a diva,” claims Franz Leth, “and it likes warm years.” Interestingly, there was once a lot of it planted in Fels, but most was grubbed up to make room for the easier to cultivate and ever more popular Grüner Veltliner, which has now become Austria’s signature variety. Interestingly, the two grapes are not even related. While Roter Veltliner is more prone to disease and less regular than Grüner Veltliner, when vintage and site come together, as they did in 2009, it ripens at only 13% alcohol, showing herbal spices, succulent sweetness and near-perfect balance. Not surprisingly, demand is growing again for this variety, and Leth is now acquiring and planting new plots.

Already one of the largest estates in Wagram, Weingut Leth can also boast of being one of the oldest. That said, beyond their own 50 hectares of vineyard, Franz and Erich Leth buy fruit from another 15, producing almost a million bottles a year. Size, however, seems to have no negative impact on quality.

Two thousand thirteen was the first vintage for Franz Junior, who at the age of only 22 has assumed responsibility for the cellars. Like his father, he considers Scheiben with its deep loess soils to be their finest site. As it also hosts some of their oldest Grüner Veltliner vines, they are planning to make a Grande Reserve.