Esterházy Estoras Burgenland Grüner Veltliner 2023

Esterházy’s 2023 Estoras Burgenland Grüner Veltliner (92 points: Falstaff) exhibits Grüner’s sunny straw color and glint of green. Moreover, it offers a light but enticing aroma of freshly picked green apples, pears, quince, and freshly squeezed citrus. However, it’s in the mouth that the 2023 Esterházy Estoras Grüner Veltliner shows its mettle, offering crystalline freshness, precise balance, and crisp acidity to complement the wine’s delicious fruit and mineral-rich flavors. And, as one has come to expect from Esterházy’s Grüner, the 2023 Estoras Grüner Veltliner exits with verve and vigor, providing a lip smacking finish that kept us coming back for more. While some will enjoy this wine as it reaches a more ambient temperature, others will prefer Austria’s quintessential grape moderately chilled (35º- 45º F) while in the full bloom of youth. Anticipated maturity: 2024-2027. Prost!

Not surprisingly, the 2023 Esterházy Estoras Burgenland Grüner Veltliner provides the ideal accompaniment to traditional Austrian cuisine. It also pairs beautifully with seafood, poultry, Asian Fusion specialties, and a wide variety of cheeses. Authentic Wiener Schnitzel and Grüner Veltliner make a classic match. A delicious Pork Schnitzel is equally gratifying, as is Pork Wellington in a puff pastry with Shitake mushrooms and braised shallots topped with a cherry demi-glace. Fried Calamari; Crab Spring Rolls; and Pecan Crusted Crab Cakes, served with a key lime chipotle and a corn and bean relish provide tasty accompaniments, too. Fried clams, sautéed oysters, and pan seared scallops also offer superb companionship. Sushi and stir fries pair beautifully with this wine as well, which is one reason Grüner Veltliner has become so popular worldwide. And, what may be this Grüner Veltliner’s best kept secret is how well it pairs with all kinds of cheeses, including Feta, Brie and fresh Mozzarella. Guten appetit!

The noble House of Esterházy dates back to the 13th century, and since 1687 it has enjoyed a princely line granted by the Habsburg Emperor Leopold I. The family’s ancestral baroque home in Eisenstadt, Austria is one of Austria’s most beautiful palaces and a much visited tourist site. Equally impressive is Esterházy’s state of the art modern winery, which opened in 2006 in Austria’s Burgenland.

Although Esterházy’s winery is modern, fashioning world-class wine is nothing new to the Esterházy family. They have been making some of Austria’s greatest wines for more than 250 years. In 1789 the world-famous and much heralded music composer Joseph Haydn asked to have part of his salary as the Esterházy court musician paid in wine – a full 5 liters per day for his household, including his servants. Joseph Haydn was a man who knew and appreciated the finest in life, including Esterházy wines. Fortunately, Esterházy wines are now available to a wider public in the United States.

Esterházy fashions a wide range of wines from traditional Austrian and international varietals, including highly rated world-class Blaufränkisch, Chardonnay, and Grüner Veltliner (this month’s feature and Austria’s emblematic white grape variety and eponymous white wine). Esterházy’s estate wines are grown and produced organically within the Leithaberg DAC (Leithaberg means limestone) in Burgenland to the east of Vienna. Leithaberg is the region’s premier appellation thanks to a limestone-rich soil and Austria’s warmest climate. Enjoy!