Earthly pleasures of Soellner Irden Roter Veltliner

Simon reviews Soellner Irden Roter Veltliner, a charming and deft orange wine from Wagram, Austria. And we introduce a special offer for Morning Claret readers!

Every week, Simon selects an orange wine (a white wine made with extended skin contact) that grabbed his attention. View the whole series here.

Pinot Noir allegedly creates wines for the heart, while classic Bordeaux blends give the intellect something to chew on. Extending that paradigm a bit, Roter Veltliner - and especially this Roter Veltliner - is a wine for the cruciverbalist, or lover of puzzles. Why? First because it bears no relationship to its widely known namesake Grüner Veltliner. Second, the pinky-red skins apparently doesn't influence the colour of the wine. And then there's the steinzeug (stone vat) part - and the unexpected 3% bonus in this bottle. Intrigued?

First, a little about Soellner. Toni Söllner and Daniela Vigne farm five hectares of vines biodynamically in Lower Austria's Wagram region, which butts up to Vienna and lives in the shadow of its more famous neighbour the Wachau. They're champions of Roter Veltliner, an ancient Austrian variety with rosy cheeks and …