2016 Mantlerhof
Where: Niederosterreich, Austria
Who: Sepp Mantler
What: Gruner Veltliner
Soil Type: Loess
Tastes like: Zippy! Tart citrus and under-ripe green apples. Light with a mineral-driven finish.
What to pair with: Linguini alla Vongole; Brussels sprouts, anything you would want to squeeze a lemon on
Founded in the 12th century as "Lesehof", the Mantlerhof estate is located in a historic manor, where for 200 years it has been managed by the Mantler family. First documented in 1365, the family was first noted when Simon "Mentler" and his wife bought "Elsbet", a vineyard near Krems. 
Sepp Mantler started working around the family winery in the late 60's and took over farming and winemaking from his father Josef in the late 70's. With over 40 years of experience, coupled with access to the greatest vineyards of the area, Sepp produces some of the best wines not only in Kremstal, but in all of Austria.
A member of the group called Traditionsweingüter (along with Salomon, Nigl, Hirsch, Gobelsburg, Hiedler and Bründlmayer), Mantlerhof is located east of Krems on the Danube, in a small village called Gedersdorf. With 14 of its 86 hectares planted to organically certified vines, the estate supports Grüner Veltliner (47%), Roter Veltliner (17%), Riesling (20%), Chardonnay, Merlot, Neuburger and Gelber Muskateller. In deep layers of loess soil on conglomerate, the vines grow on soils that contain fine particles of quartz and limestone, which are fertile and mineral rich. The landscape here is dominated by the steep terraced vineyards, fashioned by centuries of vine growing and winemaking. The best vineyards (“lagen“) are around Gedersdorf and are Spiegel (for Grüner Veltliner), Wieland (for Riesling), Tiefenthal, Steingraben and Reisenthal (for Roter Veltliner).
The wines, true to the terroir and shaped by the loess soil, climate and grape variety, have plenty of extract and are concentrated and full-bodied, with excellent aging potential. Fermented with indigenous yeast, they reflect Sepp’s passion and enthusiasm in the vineyard as well as his craft in the cellar.
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