The 2019 showcases white pepper, peach, a slight vegetal note that is rounded out with mouth watering acidity. It is bright, balanced, and a perfect accompaniment to spring vegetables.

Based in the town of Zöbing, Barbara Öhlzelt farms six hectares of vines. She is turning the region’s paradigm completely on its head. Instead of the unctuous, powerful and masculine wines of the famous large estates, Barbara’s wines emphasize focus and a quiet, simmering intensity. They are fine, clearly delineated, precisely-etched renditions of Grüner Veltliner and Riesling with just as much depth and persistence as the big boys, but on a lighter, more refreshing frame. Barbara is soft-spoken but intense; the wines are not unlike their shepherd. These are racy, delicate wines of purity and energy, and are exactly what the next chapter in the story of Austrian wine should be. The Grüner Leader is from a combination of all of Barbara’s Grüner vineyards with an average vine age of 30 years.