The rich, full-bodied Hirtzberger 2007 Gruner Veltliner Smaragd Axpoint is cut from very similar plush cloth to the corresponding Rotes Tor (and was also picked through November). Musk melon, snap peas, coffee, nut oils, and peach inform this sappy, persistent oil-textured and honeyed Veltliner that calls for careful employment in culinary contexts, and watchful cellaring over perhaps the next 4-5 years. Most of Hirtzberger’s 2007 vintage Gruner Veltliner reflect their late dates of harvest and the presence of botrytis (a certain amount of which he always welcomes) in rich, low tones.Importer: Vin Divino, Chicago, IL; tel. (773) 334-6700

Pale green-yellow. Bright, crisp apple and delicate apricot and peach fruit aromas are complicated by hints of honey and spicy tobacco. Equally complex in the mouth, with subtle apricot joined by a piquant touch of grapefruit. Nicely integrated acidity and minerality give this wine noteworthy finesse. Already offers drinking pleasure but boasts very good potential for further development. Drink through 2022.

A full-bodied, spicy style of Gruner that still keeps its sense of minerality and structure. The wine is fruity, its pear flavors dominant at first. But then the concentration and the freshness both deepen the taste and lift it at the same time. An impressive wine, epitomizing both rich Gruner and a taut, cool-climate character.——R.V.(7/1/2009)—— 93