"Based on this showing, Veyder-Malberg is indeed as mad and as genius as they say he is." - Andrew Kitz, B-21 Austria Buyer
You may not know Peter Veyder-Malberg, but among Austrian wine insiders, he's one of the most iconoclastic, not to mention talented, winemakers in the Wachau. His wines don't get nearly the wider attention that they deserve thanks to his general aversion to having them reviewed professionally (he's not a fan of tagging an arbitrary number onto his wines), so in order to get an idea of how truly special they are, you have to taste them yourself, and that's what B-21 Austria buyer Andrew Kitz recently did with the exceptional 2023s.
Based in the Spitzer Graben, a narrow side valley of the Wachau with a decidedly cooler microclimate, Veyder-Malberg has been marching to the beat of his own drummer since the beginning, and the results are in a class all their own, starting with his "entry-level" Grüner Veltliner Liebedich. Sourced from many of Wachau's most prized sites, including Loibenberg and Hochrain, it's "a quintessential example of Austria’s most famous native grape in every way ... a layered, textured expression that Austrian wine fans shouldn’t miss."
His true genius, however, shines in his single-vineyard wines, like the 2023 Grüner Veltliner Hochrain. Andrew describes a 95-point expression with aromas of "pure, shimmering minerality" and a palate that's "achingly elegant and precise ... a study in restrained intensity and ethereal elegance." Likewise, the 96-point 2023 Riesling Bruck is a remarkable, singular style that could only come from a winemaker like Veyder-Malberg. "Peter Veyder-Malberg’s 2023 Riesling Bruck is simply stunning. Like his other wines, it demands time, it demands proper temperature, and it demands attention. When all three conditions are met, you’re rewarded with a Riesling of absolutely beguiling delicacy, shimmering personality, and generally jaw-dropping finesse."
It bears noting that these are not wines for immediate gratification. They are intellectual to say the least, and the 2023s at the moment are very primary, so patient collectors can confidently stock up knowing there is some tremendous evolution in store. If you're a fan of truly world-class Austrian wines, you need to jump on the Veyder-Malberg train without hesitation.
I expected Peter Veyder-Malberg’s 2023 Hochrain Grüner to be singular in many ways, and it was. Malberg’s parcels sit high on the slope where the layer of loess overlaying the paragneiss bedrock is much thinner than down on the lower slopes, and this Hochrain exhibits the corresponding filigreed precision that plays perfectly into Malberg’s winemaking style. It’s shy at first, like all Malberg’s wines, giving up not much else but pure, shimmering minerality and tightly wound citrus pith and green apple blossom. Give it time and aggressive swirling and it fleshes out beautifully, though. That pure mineral foundation remains, but the fruit soon broadens into Golden Delicious apples, quince, and bright, vibrant Meyer lemon. A corresponding floral overtone emerges as well, extraordinarily heady and aromatic and permeating all the other elements. The palate is achingly elegant and precise, again not giving up much at first, but when the pieces come together, it’s a study in restrained intensity and ethereal elegance. Pinpoint acidity frames flavors of piquant citrus skin and tart pear, along with salt and pepper undertones that lead to a struck-flint finish that simply dances with grace. A Grüner for the cellar, if you really want to experience it in its full glory.
95 points, Andrew Kitz, B-21 Austria Buyer (Dec 2025)
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