The flagship grape of Austria, Grüner Veltliner is a natural cross of Traminer and St. Georgen. Grüner accounts for almost 30% of all grapes planted with around 13,500 hectares under vine in the country. The Austrian native has become an international sensation amongst sommeliers worldwide as the perfect food wine due to its high acidity. In Austria it is prized for the easy drinking wine it produces but can also wow the palate with complexity in the right winemaker’s hands. The typical flavor profile is often described as displaying elements of green apple with an unmistakable white pepper spiciness.
Weingut Malat is located around the small city Krems, on the southern border of the Danube river on the foothills of the “Stift Göttweig” monastery. These Grüner grapes are grown on the single vineyard “Höhlgraben,” which got its name in the 17th century from the German word “Höhle” meaning cave, ravine or deep ditch. There is an intense minerality to this Grüner, a tobacco and peppery spice in the nose, a concentrated, powerful and balanced palate, with a never ending finish.