Pratsch Skin-Contact Gruner Veltliner

Gruner Veltliner made in a natural winemaking style. While at Wanderlust, we are not big fans of ‘natural’ wines because many can be faulty, this example of a skin-contact style wine really shows how expert winemaking can use techniques to bring out the best from these grapes. For this wine, Stefan picked the grapes from his best vineyard, the Steinberg, by hand, removed the berries, pressed them gently and fermented them in large oak barrels. The vines, which are over 40 years old, give the wine the minerality it needs to balance the tannins.

The grapes fermented on the skins for about 4 days and then placed in the wood without the addition of sulfur and stayed there for two years. The result is a wine with enormous body, strength, finesse, complexity and body.

In the glass, it is cloudy and opaque. The wine is nuanced and structured, dry with characteristically mineral and herbal flavours and aromas. There are many layers and complexities to this wine including citrus, grapefruit, tropical notes, gooseberry and honeyed citrus. Serve not too cold- around 10 degrees. An overall complex, multilayered, voluminous and clean example of old winemaking techniques.