A new generation and a fun new wine at Hogl! This is Georg Hogl's baby. An orange, Smaragd level, Wachau Gruner Veltliner that is fermented with native yeast on the skins for 35 days before being gently pressed and moved into 500 liter Manhartsberger oak barrels. After 10 months on the fine lees, it is bottled unfiltered with only 10mg sulphur. Freigeist means free spirit and this new foray for Hogl embodies a beguiling and unadulterated vision of Wachau Gruner Veltliner. While winemaking now lies in the capable hands of son Josef and grandson Georg, Hogl is a three generation, 60 year old, family estate. Their location on ideally orientated, steep terraces of the cooler Spitzer Graben, means superb ripening combined with pure acidity. The result is world class Gruner Veltliner and Riesling.
Dense and powerful, the Freigeist is a lovely interplay of ginger spice, tingling acidity and aromas of peach and orange skin. It is a perfect bridge between classic Wachau Gruner Veltliner and more traditional orange wines. This is a wine to be enjoyed in it's textural unfiltered state or will settle and pour clean after 2 days standing and a quick decant, making this an extraordinarily versatile food wine.