Exotic Springtime Refresher
2010 Christ Gelber Muskateller
Austrian OBSESSED - One Parcel at $22
Gelber Muskateller (Yellow Muscat) is an Austrian obsession in the spring.
Or is "mania" the better word?
In the spring/summer, it's impossible to walk down the rambling streets of Vienna's first district without spotting armies of bottles of Gelber Muskateller on the tables. In Grinzing, the picturesque wine-suburb on the northern edge of the city, you can almost smell the wine, the perfumes filling the air as you walk down the street.
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Though, to be fair, Gelber Muskateller is one of the most aromatic grape varieties out there and if you can imagine a light, vivacious, almost giddy white wine chock-full of orange rind and grapefruit, a touch of ripe apricot and loads and loads of sage and elderflower, you get the idea.
A good Gelber smells like a flower garden gone wild - with an orchard and a babbling brook in the distance. If this sounds like spring, you're beginning to get the idea.
While Italy's "Moscato" is the best known comparison, the signature Austrian Muskateller is not sparkling, it's totally dry and I think it's both more complicated, a bit quirkier, and also more refreshing, more memorable.
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Rainer Christ is without a doubt one of the greatest winemakers in Vienna and his Gelber Muskateller is my absolute favorite - which is why we've bought every bottle in the U.S. Keep in mind this doesn't amount to much.
So, spring is here, our tiny parcel is here, and if you're looking for something that is brisk and refreshing with personality, with a kaleidoscopic florality, Gelber Muskateller is your wine.
If you happen to be an Austrian ex-pat or one of those curious New Yorkers with a penchant for Gelber (we have a number come into the store, every year), let me say that of all the Gelber's I've ever had, only Nikolaihof's comes even close to the freshness, the clarity of Christ's wine - and Niko's Gelber is $10+ more expensive.
Our parcel, which represents all the Christ Gelber in the U.S., comes down to a slim, slim tranche of wine. There is a lot of spring still to go, even more summer, so give us your maximum order and we'll do our best.
The wine is in stock and ready to go. It really is spring.
To order, please email us at offers@crushwineco.com or call the store at (212) 980-9463.
Stephen Bitterolf
Wine Director
Crush Wine & Spirits