From nearly 50 year old vines in what Wieninger calls “the filet” of the Nussberg, his 2006 Rosengartl Alte Reben “the historically greatest Viennese vineyard that it was always my dream to have a part of,” is nearly half Gruner Veltliner, with the rest predominantly Pinot Blanc, Neuburger, and Roter Traminer. Rose petal, Szechuan pepper, lentil and sweet pea in the nose represent a lovely meld of Veltliner and Traminer. Rich and glyceral, with juicy, ripe musk melon and a hint of honey as well as abundant inner-mouth florality, like its Nussberg sibling, this exhibits striking minerality, here expressed as a chalky, salty finishing residue. I would expect it to perform well for 4-5 years, although I have no experience with older vintages of this cuvee. Fritz Wieninger has been the prime dynamo behind whatever over-due recognition the wines of Vienna have garnered over the past decade, and I have been remiss in not visiting with him until last year – too early, unfortunately, to assess certain of the 2007s from his sprawling line-up of cuvees, so the selection below is limited wines that were bottled early, or that I had occasion to revisit. “We are warmer in Vienna than the Wachau or Kamptal,” Wieninger reminded me, “and we can’t wait to harvest our vineyards until November, unless of course we want 15 or 16% alcohol. We need lighter wines, and for that, we have to harvest much earlier – which is unfortunate at times, because aromas are significantly enhanced through later picking, a practice suited to our terroir.” Wieninger seems to have mastered the balancing act that corresponds to this paradox of optimal harvest dates. His lighter wines do not display any unripe flavors.Importer: Vin Divino, Chicago, IL; tel. (773) 334-6700