Högl Grüner Veltliner Freigeist 2017

96 points Wine & Spirits: "[$40 list] Made from grüner veltliner macerated with its skins and then left on them for 35 days, this was pressed into 500-liter Manhartsberger oak barrels to rest on the lees for 10 months; it was bottled without filtering, and with very little sulfur. The result, when it's shaken up, is as cloudy as a hefeweizen beer. And it feels like a cloud--a pillowy cumulonimbus filled with aroma. There's a hint of cedar, ginger, peach skin and porcini as it scuds across the palate; with air, those notes become more grüner-like, scents of orange mingling with herbs, all of it carried with a green-apple verve. It's clean and energetic, with a mesmerizing balance of weightlessness and fullness that would suit sushi extremely well. (Apr 2020)"

92 points Wine Spectator: "[$40 list] An intriguing version, cloudy, with obvious skin contact shown through the soft tannins that add to the corduroy texture. The flavor profile is impressive and expressive, featuring notes of green tea, tobacco, lemon peel and sea salt. More on a savory side, but would be great with food. Best from 2022 through 2032. 35 cases imported. (2020)"

For the Freigeist (free spirit) Gruner Veltliner, winemaker Georg Hogl lightly squeezed the grapes to open them up and start spontaneous fermentation on the skins. After 35 days a light press followed and the wine went into 500 Liter Manhartsberger oak to age on its lees for another ten months. The wine was finally bottled with a minuscule addition of sulfur but without filtration. Dense and powerful, the Freigeist builds a bridge between classic Wachau Gruner Veltliner and skin-fermented orange wine that could not be more interesting. A hint of oak mingles nicely with skin phenolics, yellow fruit and nicely balanced acidity.