2023 Steininger - Gruner Veltiner Loisium DAC Kamptal Reserve Stephen Holl (750ml)

Weingut Steininger is a family-run estate in Langenlois, the heart of Austria's Kamptal region, where Karl and Brigitta Steininger took over from Karl's parents in 1980. After several trips to Champagne, the couple began producing traditional method sparkling wine in 1989, building a reputation for quality that extends across both still and sparkling bottlings. Since 2021 the couple's daughter Eva has led the winery. Karl Steininger was also a driving force behind the Loisium, an architectural wine world designed by American architect Steven Holl and built directly within the estate's own vineyard.

This Reserve comes from the Ried Loisium vineyard, sitting just behind the winery on loess soil mixed with gravel. The site benefits from a meeting of climates, with the warm Pannonian plain to the east balanced by the cooler Waldviertel to the northwest, giving the grapes a wide swing between hot days and cool nights. The wine is vinified dry and carries the Steven Holl name in tribute to the architect whose Loisium project shaped the vineyard's identity.

In the glass this Grüner Veltliner is powerful and fully ripe yet remains lively, with exotic aromas of lychee layered over fresh herbs and a mineral edge. The finish is long, with a subtle trace of white pepper. It pairs well with roasted poultry, delicate fish dishes, or baked vegetables with herb oil.