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TASTING NOTES

The 2024 Erste Grüner Veltliner offers expressive aromatics with notes of yellow apple, subtle tropical fruit, and a hint of neutral oak and lees contact. On the palate, the wine shows impressive texture and depth while maintaining crisp, mouthwatering acidity and a long, savory finish.

This balance of richness and freshness makes it an exceptional food wine, pairing beautifully with roast chicken, quiche, savory tarts, creamy vegetable dishes, and herb-driven poultry preparations. Built with structure and intensity, this Grüner Veltliner will continue to gain complexity with time.

VINEYARD NOTES

Erste (pronounced AIR-stuh) means “first” in German, and this wine truly lives up to its name. When Frederick Frank purchased land on the east side of Seneca Lake, one of the warmest vineyard sites in the Finger Lakes, he took a bold risk. The very first grape variety planted in that vineyard was Grüner Veltliner, a grape he felt deeply passionate about, even when few others in the region were growing it.

That pioneering decision became the inspiration for the name Erste: a wine that honors the first planting, the first risk, and the continued spirit of innovation at
Dr. Konstantin Frank Winery.

Certified New York Winegrowing Sustainable

WINEMAKER NOTES

Winemaker Sarah Gummoe, who helped shape the style of this wine, brings a deeply personal connection to Grüner Veltliner. During her 2016 harvest in Austria’s Kamptal region, an area renowned for Grüner Veltliner and Riesling, Sarah discovered a side of the grape that many wine drinkers never encounter. “I was familiar with the more zesty, fresh styles meant to be drunk young, but there are also these big, rich, textural Grüner Veltliners that are fermented and aged in large-format oak and meant to evolve for decades.”

One tasting in particular left a lasting impression: a 1957 Grüner Veltliner that tasted remarkably youthful, layered with stone fruit, minerality, and depth. That experience helped inspire the vision for Erste. Sourced from a carefully managed, lower-yielding block in the Hector Vineyard to enhance concentration and ripeness, Erste is both a product of intentional vineyard practices and cellar technique. The wine is fermented and aged for nine months in approximately 70% neutral oak and 30% stainless steel, with regular lees stirring to build texture and complexity.

VINEYARD

100% Seneca Estate. NY Sustainable Certified.

VINIFICATION

De-Stemmed. Direct Press. Pneumatic Press.

VESSEL

70% neutral oak, 30% stainless steel.

FERMENTATION

Traditional. No Malolactic Fermentation.

AGING

9 months aging in 70% neutral oak, 30% stainless steel.

ACCOLADES