Austrian indigenous grape: Roter Veltliner

You would be forgiven for thinking that Grüner Veltliner was somehow related to Roter Veltliner and, for that matter, Frühroter Veltliner. The latter is an Austrian variation on Malvasia, while Roter Veltliner is unrelated to its more famous green counterpart, and genetically it is a more ancient variety.

The skins aren’t actually red, as the name suggests, but can have a reddish tinge, while the juice is free of pigment. In the 19th century, it was said to be the dominant variety in Wagram, but the surface declined.

Scroll down to see tasting notes and scores for five Roter Veltliner wines worth seeking out

The bunches tolerate heat well and the vines can thrive in dry conditions, retaining good acidity – generally higher than that of Grüner Veltliner – as it ripens. But there are drawbacks too. It’s naturally high-yielding so the crop needs to be reined back. It is also susceptible to disease but can handle some botrytis at harvest. Unfortunately, it is also prone to more damaging forms of rot, which may well account for its loss of vineyard share.

Sadly, it’s a variety in slow decline. Twenty years ago there were 270 hectares under vine; today the figure is closer to 188.

Most of the vineyards are in Wagram, although there is also a small production in the Kremstal, where the Mantlerhof estate is credited with reviving the variety.

In Wagram, the most committed producer has long been Josef Fritz, and one-fifth of his 15 hectares are planted with the variety. And for Franz Leth, one of Wagram’s best-known wine producers, Roter Veltliner is his favourite variety.

Grüner Veltliner has the advantage of versatility. Most examples can be drunk with pleasure when very young, and stylistically it ranges from the fresh and lively to the rich and serious, with remarkable longevity. Roter Veltliner is different. It needs a high level of ripeness to give real satisfaction, and it invariably improves with a few years’ bottle age to show greater complexity and nuance. These factors are a hindrance when it comes to commercial viability, which is another reason why production is so limited.

The wine is generally aged in medium or large casks, and although unoaked, or Klassik, examples do exist, they can lack personality.

A mature Roter Veltliner from a good producer can display a light exoticism. It’s never as pronounced as the tropical-fruit character of many Rotgipflers, and neither does it rely on residual sugar for its baroque character. It can also show a pronounced floral character, and sometimes a dash of honey. It delivers wines that are relatively high in extract, which contributes to their longevity and complexity. Rotgipfler is often quite sweet, while Roter Veltliner can range from the fully dry to a broader structure with a light touch of residual sugar.

As with Zierfandler, its limited production means that it is rarely encountered outside Austria, but that’s no reason not to seek it out when the opportunity arises.

See tasting notes and scores for five Roter Veltliner wines worth seeking out

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