Setzer Gruner Veltliner

About

The Setzer winery was founded in 1705 and remains one of the oldest continuously run estates in this part of the Weinviertel. In the beginning, the family-focused on crop and livestock farming and devoted only a small portion to vineyards. Over the centuries vine growing and winemaking became the focus and in 2001 the Setzer’s leased out their farmland and the estate was devoted entirely to wine. Today the estate is run by Hans Setzer and his wife Ulli, alongside their two children Marie-Theres and Eugen.

Setzer is located in Hohenwarth, (“high observation point”) a town whose winemaking history dates back to 1360. The hilly vineyards in Hohenwarth were part of an ancient seabed, pushed upward by tectonic movement. These vineyards benefit from a higher than average altitude, 400 meters above sea level, significantly higher than vineyards in the neighboring regions of Kamptal and Wagram, only 15 kilometers away. On this raised seabed, vines are planted in light, sandy soils, high in chalky limestone, with a gravel rich subsoil.

The Setzer’s have implemented sustainable, integrated vineyard practices, eschewing the use of chemical fertilizers and herbicides and they pride themselves on the practice of dry farming. Rootstalks at Setzer are imported from France and the vines are massal selections from the estate’s own 30-year-old-vines.

Setzer Gruner Veltliner feels different from anything else – one feels the elevation in the slightly higher level of acidity making this wine “sing in a different register”. The texture runs more to light to medium in body for GV and often shows floral notes in conjunction with classic straw, wheat and savory flavors that the variety is known for.