Stift Goettweig Niederosterreich Gruner Veltliner Messwein 2021

Keeping vines in central and northern Europe is hard. In contrast to Mediterranean climates where vines seem to spring out from the rocks all by themselves, it takes patience, backbreaking labor, and long-term dedication to convince them to grow in places like Germany and Austria. This is why Monasteries are a recurring viticultural motif in this part of Europe. Monks had the time, the land, and the resources to invest in vineyards. The grand monastery of Stift Goetweig is one of the prime examples. Monks here planted all the lower slopes of their prominent hill to vines, and have been making some of the best wine in Kremstal for almost a thousand years. This entry-tier wine, named for its original purpose as wine for Sunday mass, offers arresting complexity and finesse in a delightfully cost-effective package. The nose has notes of fresh lime juice, blossom, linden leaf, green apple, pear, white pepper and honeysuckle. The palate is just as sharply defined, with a strong upwell of lem