Gruner Veltliner

This is my favorite California Gruner Veltliner, and admittedly small sample size.  It really is an outstanding wine.  Light green/gold in color.  The nose has minerals, limes and is a bit steely.  On the palate the limes carry thru with minerals underneath.  Crisp yet a hint of viscosity.  Concentrated.  Long finish.  This does drink well on its own but is better with food.  Seafood or salads work well.  It will drink well for five to seven years most likely, but it will be interesting to watch.  

This is a basic Gruner that comes in a 1 litre bottle.  It retails for $15 which is an excellent value.  Also a crown cap for a closure.  Light green/gold in color.  Clear and bright.  The nose is nice with limes, slight asparagus and minerals.  On the palate, a lemon/lime quality.  Good acidity.  Some roundness.  Not a ton of depth but some.  This should be consumed in the next year but will be drinkable for a few more.  It should go well with lighter fare and drinks well on its own.  A nice wine to finish off summer.  

This is an interesting take on this varietal more known in Austria than Washington state.  Light green/gold in color and very pale.  The nose is nice with a lemon/lime quality but also a bit of pear and slight asparagus note.  On the palate, this has a tart lemon/lime note.  Slightly oily viscous texture.  A hint of sweetness but good acidity to work with it.  Still fresh but seems a bit rounder than on release.  It will be interesting to see how this ages though I would recommend drinking most of them in the next three years.  It will work with lighter foods or on its own.   

Always a favorite, this has a new, more attractive label.  Not as industrial as the older label.  Light green/gold in color.  The nose is nice with limes and minerals.  On the palate, this has good acidity.  Some lime.  Long finish.  $14 per 1 ltr bottle is a great price.  Perfect for large get together s.  Varietally correct.  Food friendly.  Easy to drink with a wide variety of foods or on its own.  Should last five years.  

This is a good wine, but given its $96 price tag, it was disappointing.  A slight amount of trapped CO2.  Medium gold in color.  Slight sulfur to the nose but otherwise pretty tight.  Some asparagus and limes.  On the palate, this is soft.  It has a dusty taste with slight limes.  No obvious faults here.  Given the pedigree, it may be shut down hard right now though that's not something usually associated with GV.  Good acidity.  Worked well with food.  It did not seem to change in any respect for the two and a half hours in the glass.  

This has some trapped CO2 in it which blew off quickly.  The nose has tart citrus notes.  Also some green apples.  On the palate, this seemed ever so slightly sweet.  Green apples with some orange peel.  Nice depth and complexity.  It was older than the other GV's tasted with but did not stand out (other than a bit more complexity).  Good finish.  Food friendly.  Certainly seems like it has at least a decade left.  $60

This wine took a while to really open.  The group I tasted with liked it more than I but its best days are probably still ahead.  Light medium gold in color.  The nose has a fair amount of sulfur.  With air, some tangerine emerges and with more air, some white floral notes.  On the palate, this is soft.  It gets better with food.  Slightly tart granny smith apple notes.  Nice finish.  This probably needs a few years to develop and should be good for a decade or more after that.  If drinking now, decant.  It retails for $77 so cellaring is a nice option to get the full value of the wine.  

Deep green/gold in color.  The nose is very tight but eventually opens to show some peach along with a bit of white flowers.  On the palate, there is a nice underlayer of minerality here.  Sour apples on top.  Drinking very well with a bit of air but even better with a selection of Austrian cheeses.  Good finish.  This retails for $53, so you can make your own value judgments.  It is very enjoyable.  It will be interesting to see how it develops from here.  

This seemed to have some trapped CO2 in it, but that quickly blew off.  Green/gold in color.  The nose is interesting.  A friend suggested strawberries and that worked.  For me, it was more like dried flowers and fresh hay if that makes sense.  It was nice though.  On the palate, this is more about tart red apples.  a bit clipped on the finish, but otherwise, quite nice.  Would work with a wide variety of food.  It will probably come together a bit over the next year and be good for at least five to seven after that.  

Wow.  This was fantastic and available for under $20 a bottle.  Medium gold in color.  The nose has white flowers, vanilla and limes.  Very pretty.  On the palate, vanilla and a tangerine note emerges.  Deep with a nice complexity, it slowly unwinds in the glass.  Nice finish.  This wine will work with a wide variety of foods.  Having just tasted the 2014, it seems like this should last for at least 5 years and probably longer.  It is unclear if it will improve but might be worth taking a shot on.