Nikolaihof Zwickl

Vintage: 2020

Origin: Wachau, Austria

Grapes: Gurner Veltliner

Alcohol: 11%

This is, in essence, an unfiltered “Hefeabzug,” and you get two wines in the same bottle if you want. How? It’s fallen bright in the top one-third, and if you pour carefully you will have a clear wine. You can then shake the rest of the bottle to mix the sediment and pour yourselves a cloudy glass of tasty atavism. They encourage this! The 2020 Zwickl offers a bright and fresh nose of white fruits with a faint yeasty character. Round and textured, with great minerality this is a truly beautiful expression of what Gruner Veltliner can be.

In the Wachau, close to the town of Mautern on the Danube's south bank, Nikolaihof's holdings are some of the furthest east. With locations like "im Weingebirge" being referenced as early as 470 AD, these are also some of the earliest vineyards in Europe that are known to exist. Whether it's Nikolaus' expertise in biodynamics, his emphasis on ancient vinification methods, or the excellence of his terroir, the wines that result are truly unique and glorious. They are unique wines that cannot be found anyplace else in the wine-making industry.