The distinctive expression of things mineral in Neumayer’s 2010 Gruner Veltliner Engelreich takes the form a Chablis-like amalgam of crushed stone, alkalinity, and salted vegetable and chicken stock. Bittersweet floral nuances waft discreetly but intriguingly from the glass as this opens up. A lush texture and sweetly ripe suggestion of honeydew melon gain counterpoint from the saline, stony undertone and lemon-tinged finishing note. This ought to be worth following for a decade. Ludwig Neumayer de-acidified at the lower end of his portfolio, especially in Riesling, but the results retain plenty of pep and incisive refreshment. Given the high extract that resulted from lots of rain, he notes, there was lots of buffering for the acids, and the thick skins and paucity of juice also had an ameliorative effect on acidity, effectively enhancing skin contact even in those grapes that were almost immediately pressed. “In fact,” notes Neumayer, “the material was so dense that you could only press very slowly.” Although his top Rieslings fermented through February, like the rest of this collection they were bottled already in April.Importer: Winemonger, Los Angeles, CA www.winemonger.com

For the first time since 1999, Neumayer elected to bottle a separate 2007 Gruner Veltliner Engelreich, adding “Getzersdorf” to the label to call attention not just to the jurisdiction of this vineyard immediately to the north of his others, but to its distinctive sand and loess soils, lighter and less stony than on the terraces to the south. A Sauvignon-like nose of gooseberry, cassis, and lime leads to a juicy, refreshing, glossy-textured palate, with bitter undertones of melon rind and fruit skin. While this is fun to drink, I would do so over the coming year, and I can’t figure out what motivated Neumayer to do a dedicated bottling.On account of the hot, dry July, Neumayer says he only did one spraying against mildew and almost no manicuring of the foliage. He picked well into October, since he did not find he was risking such high potential alcohol as his 2006s had reached already in the early days of that month. These wines have what he calls the “cracking” of acidity that invigorates and refreshes. (Note that because of a change in importers at the beginning of this year, prices on these wines were not yet available to me, and the wines themselves will only begin arriving later in the year. Readers should consult my reviews of the 2006s in issue 177 for a ballpark idea of eventual retail prices.) The wines of this years’ Riesling collection chez Neumayer were all very slow to ferment and ended up completely dry at the upper twelve’s in alcohol.Importer: Winemonger, Los Angeles, CA; www.winemonger.com