Kemetner, “Ried Karl” Grüner Veltliner

When we last featured this wine, I believed two things to be true: (1) that it was/is an incredible expression of mature Grüner Veltliner, and (2) that we’d never see the likes of it again. Well, I’m thrilled to report that I was wrong on Point 2 and the wine is still singing its siren song. I’ve had decades-old gems from all-time Hall of Famers Pichler, Nikolaihof, Prager, Knoll, Brundlmayer—you name it—but there’s something especially exciting about a perfectly preserved treasure from an 11th-generation family-run winery that’s largely avoided the public eye for centuries. Naturally, we pounced when Kemetner’s importer offered us another shot at this exquisite, remarkably vivid ’92. Coming from the ried (vineyard) “Karl”—a site known for producing ethereal, long-lived wines—this 30-year-old gem transformed right in front of my eyes after the cork was pulled. Within minutes, the legendary properties of mature Grüner were on full display: texturally piquant fruits, enlivening acidity,