Grüner Veltliner Riede Steiner Schreck "Dritter Akt" unfiltriert 2019

Medium straw yellow. On the nose, the wine is initially shy and requires time and air, before turning vibrant and powerful: citrus, white and yellow-fleshed fruit, herbs, crushed stone, subtle oak, and lanolin. Bright and clear, leanly structured at 11.5% ABV.

The Riede Steiner Schreck vineyard slopes steeply downhill. The vines grow on small terraces around four to five metres deep, shaped by Gföhl gneiss and granite at an altitude of approximately 320 metres. The roots are 100 years old, and the canopy reaches 2.4 metres in height.

100% Grüner Veltliner, farmed according to Demeter biodynamic standards. Markus Lang harvests based on pH: on 6 September 2019, around 65 days after flowering—earlier than ever before—at pH 3.0 with physiologically ripe grapes. Pressing took place extremely slowly over two days on the custom-designed 100-tonne tree press under completely reductive conditions; subsequently, the juice was allowed time to brown, undergoing deliberate oxidation. Lang maintained the spontaneous fermentation with 3 to 5% destemmed grapes that ferment intracellularly, revitalising the process despite a constant 9 °C in the cellar. Aged for two years on the full lees in a large 1,000-litre wooden cask, minimally sulphured, and bottled unfiltered in March 2022.

A noble velvetiness with very fine tannins, mouth-filling, with pleasant drive and a subtle oxidative, yeasty nuance. The acidity feels ripe and remains understated, underpinned by deep minerality. The finish is salty, creamy, and long.

"Dritter Akt" is the estate's only Grüner Veltliner aged entirely in large wooden casks. Markus and Heideline Lang farm 2.5 hectares in Stein an der Donau and vinify their wines in a tunnel deep within the gneiss bedrock at a constant 9 °C, producing around 12,000 bottles annually. The Demeter logo is displayed on the label.