Veyder Malberg Gruner Veltliner, Wosendorfer Hochrain, Wachau, Austria 2021

Not to be confused with the Spitz site, Hochrain, a subplot of Achspoint, this large vineyard is located just to the east and around a steep section of the Wachau that overlooks the Danube. It’s within the commune of Wösendorf, an area with a large river flood plane, followed by foothills of löss deposits leading up the hills where primary rock dominates. While the lower sections of Hochrain are mostly löss, Peter’s section is further upslope on a mix of löss and decomposing paragneiss. A solid 400 meters away from the Danube, the river’s regulating effect on Hochrain is notable in the winter and spring where it helps to draw out frost and in the summer it keeps temperatures from spiking as high as the Spitzer Graben far away from the river, home to many of Veyder-Malberg’s vineyards. In comparison with Veltliners from primary rock, the “Hochrain” is a precise example of how much the soil influences the character of the wine.