92 Points: The Grüner That Shows Why Bernhard Ott Matters
Gordon's Team knows this: if someone wants to understand why Grüner Veltliner has become such a sommelier favorite, this is a very good place to start. Bernhard Ott is one of Austria’s great champions of Grüner. His family has grown wine in Wagram since 1889, and Bernhard took over the estate at just 21 years old. A 2006 visit to Domaine de la Romanée-Conti helped cement his commitment to biodynamic farming, and he later became a founding member of respekt-BIODYN.
The 2025 Bernhard Ott “Am Berg” Grüner Veltliner is a perfect introduction to his style. Made from younger vines, roughly 15–25 years old, the fruit is harvested by hand and fermented spontaneously. The 2025 spent six months in stainless steel and comes in at just 12% alcohol, giving it a bright, energetic character without sacrificing complexity.
Peter Moser of Falstaff awarded the 2025 Am Berg 92 points, finding pineapple, white flowers, candied lime, white apple and a delicately salty finish. Anne Krebiehl MW of Vinous awarded it 90 points, highlighting its bone-dry style, peppery character, herbal savoriness, brightness and tension, with a drinking window of 2026–2036.
That combination explains Grüner’s appeal beautifully: fresh fruit, herbs, white pepper, bright acidity and a savory, slightly salty finish. It is also exactly why sommeliers love the grape. Grüner can handle foods that challenge a lot of other whites;fried foods, vinaigrettes, fresh herbs, vegetables and citrus-heavy dishes, without becoming heavy or overly fruity.
Our pick for the 2025 Am Berg is crispy chicken schnitzel with lemon, parsley and warm potato salad.
For the schnitzel, pound four chicken cutlets thin, season with salt and pepper, then coat in flour, beaten egg and breadcrumbs. Shallow-fry in neutral oil for about 2–3 minutes per side until crisp and golden.
For the potato salad, boil Yukon Gold potatoes until tender, slice them while still warm and toss with a dressing of white wine vinegar, Dijon mustard, a splash of warm chicken stock and oil. Add finely chopped shallot, scallions, parsley, salt and pepper.
Then pour the Grüner. The wine’s acidity cuts through the crisp chicken, its citrus character picks up the lemon, and its peppery, herbal side works beautifully with the parsley and mustard. That dry, gently salty finish keeps you coming back for another bite. That’s why sommeliers love Grüner and why the 92-point 2025 Bernhard Ott Am Berg is such a good place to discover it.!
