Erich Machherndl Gruner Veltliner FSP Kollmutz

Light yellow-green in colour with silver reflections. The bouquet is delicately tobacco, with spice underlaid with a white fruit note, mineral nuances. The palate brings subtle vegetal note, fresh acidity, hints of lemon, yellow apple note, a hint of mint is evident on the finish.

Growing up in a family business in Etsdorf, Kamptal, he was born into wine. The experience he gained in South Africa with Craig Hawkins and Jurgen Gouws, and later with Tom Lubbe, was the starting point for his own career. Erich Machherndl is young, confident and open for experiments: he represents the new generation of Wachau winemakers, who in some respects still follow the established ways of their predecessors, but who also take new turns and are not afraid to venture into unknown territory. As a result of his explorations of new wine worlds, Erich has developed his own signature style: his wines are original and distinctive, characterized by purism, curiosity and a finely balanced mixture of innovative and traditional ideas. For example, he plants his own scions in his vineyards, thus developing a ‘different kind’ of Chardonnay, and he also experiments with longer skin contact. He is nevertheless acutely aware of the achievements of the previous generations of winemakers, and meticulously tries to develop the unique qualities of his terraces: he manages to elicit such distinctive nuances from the Hochrain, Kollmütz, Bachsatz, Kollmitz and a few other terraces, that his wines have become outstanding representatives of their respective terroirs. His main aim is to press unique wines that are elegant and focused, but also complex and animating.