Ebner-Ebenauer 'Poysdorf' Grüner Veltliner, Weinviertel, Austria 2023

Founded in 2007 when winemakers Marion and Manfred Ebner-Ebenauer joined lives and vines, the Ebner-Ebenauer estate operates from a 400-year-old cellar in Poysdorf, in the northern Weinviertel. Manfred's family has cultivated these grounds for fourteen generations; the couple now farms roughly 20 hectares across 38 individual parcels, working with above-average-age vines planted to suit each site rather than variety trends. Their winemaking balances inherited tradition — gravity-fed cellaring, gentle pressing — with deliberate, case-by-case adoption of modern technique. Named Winemakers of the Year 2022 by Falstaff, Ebner-Ebenauer has become a reference point for serious Weinviertel Grüner Veltliner.

• Winemaker: Manfred Ebner-Ebenauer
• Farming: Organic/biodynamic
• Variety: 100% Grüner Veltliner
• Terroir: Sourced from the Freiberg and Ebenthal estate vineyards in Poysdorf, planted in 1995. Soils are deep loess of glacial origin, wind-deposited over time. Poysdorf sits in the far north of the Weinviertel near the Czech border, where a continental climate — warm summers, cold winters, and persistent Pannonian winds — supports natural disease resistance and extended hang time. The Weinviertel DAC, Austria's first appellation of its type (established 2002), is built specifically around Grüner Veltliner as the region's signature variety. Loess soils here produce a lighter-bodied, peppery expression distinct from Kamptal or Wachau.
• Vinification: Hand-harvested in September 2023. Approximately five hours of skin maceration, followed by gentle pressing. Fermentation in temperature-controlled stainless steel with cultivated yeasts.
• Aging: Three months on fine lees in stainless steel tank; filtered, then held in tank until bottling in January 2024.
• Tasting Notes: Cool pear and green apple on the nose with delicate white pepper and spice. The palate is juicy and medium-bodied, with crisp apple fruit, finely spiced mineral character, and a fresh, lively finish driven by the interplay of acidity and fruitiness.
• Food Pairings: Wiener Schnitzel, roasted chicken, fresh herb salads, mild soft cheeses, grilled white fish, light vegetable gratins.
• Scores: James Suckling: 91 (2023 vintage, September 2024)