Velich’s 2007 Gruner Veltliner Sankt Georgener is the successor to the inaugural vintage from ancient vines in the Leitha hills just north of Burgenland’s capital Eisenstadt, a breezy site with mussel-chalk soils whose fruit was vinified in barrel with malo-lactic conversion and extended lees contact in order to channel what turned out to be an uncanny resemblance to Chablis. Velich once again picked in one pass from top to bottom of this site, so as to capture a range of ripeness and flavors. The wine was slated to be bottled only late last year, so my note is from barrel. Distilled cherry, and bitter-sweet floral notes fill the nose. On the palate, this is creamy in texture and seductively rich, yet possesses a purity of yellow cherries, pear, white peach, and papaya transparent to lentil, curry, chalk dust, subtly bitter fruit pits, and saline, crustacean savor that upon swallowing (or spitting, if like me, you must) leave one helplessly salivating. Trust me, word of this wine has already reached French wine growing fanatics from the Cote d’Or to the high (Grenache-Gris studded) foothills of the Pyrennes, and before long, given the size of the vineyard, you may well consider yourself lucky to score a bottle. Any of us educated into Austrian wine learned that the country’s national grape produces mediocrity in Burgenland – so much for received opinion. Velich’s 2006 reds challenge and ultimately surpass his 2004s as the best wines in the six year history of the Moric project. Roland Velich’s Moric project (about which I have written extensively in issues 160 and 177) becomes more exciting by the year, and the 2007 and 2008 vintages will each mark the inception in bottle of new wines involving the re-discovery of forgotten sites and old vines, including a joint Blaufrankisch project with Hannes Schuster in Zagersdorf, whose 2007 debut was quite exciting from cask. Also beginning with the 2007 vintage, incidentally, Velich tentatively envisions a regional blend incorporating some Zweigelt as his introductory level wine.Importer: Winemonger, Los Angeles, CA; www.winemonger.com

The 2006 Gruner Veltliner Sankt Georgen seems to reflect its mussel-chalk origins throughout. High-toned cherry with rhubarb, lentil, grapefruit, white pepper, and chalk dust inform the nose. Dense and creamy in texture on the palate this takes on a Chablis-like combination of cherry, cherry pit, pear pip, grapefruit rind, and some mysterious mineral and carnal broth, then finishes with strikingly chalky and stony notes as well as penetrating fruit clarity. Velich intentionally picked in one pass from top to bottom of this site, so as to capture a range of ripeness, including some still green-gold fruit for vivacity. The finished alcohol was 14%, but by the time it had spent a year in barrel that had diminished to 13.5%. This wonderful new wine will probably enjoy a long bottle life, but no one can really say. (Soon, Velich will also begin working with both Gruner Vetliner - and Blaufrankisch - from very near his home in Grosshoflein.)Velich's 2006 reds look to be at least as successful as his 2004s, but I shall report on them only as a group, after all have been bottled. His 2005 Blaufrankisch collection testifies to the quality that was possible in a rain-plagued vintage, if one had well-drained and -ventilated soils, was prepared to wait on this late-ripening variety, and exercised stringent selection and impeccable vinification. All of the wines weighed in at under 13% alcohol (a few lots were lightly chaptalized) but do not taste deficient in ripeness.Importer: Winemonger, Los Angeles, CA; www.winemonger.com.