Scrolling through YouTube can be an oddly enlightening pastime. Amid the algorithmic noise, you sometimes stumble on something that sticks. In this case, it was Oscar-winning actor, Christoph Waltz describing his ideal last meal. No foam, no theatre. A proper Austrian schnitzel and a bottle of Ried Kremser Weinzierlberg Grüner Veltliner 2023.

It is a Grüner Veltliner with pedigree and backbone. On the nose, it opens with melon and gooseberries, fresh and lively, then tightens its focus. Take a sip, and the fruit is round and generous, but it comes with a firm alcohol punch that reminds you this is serious wine, not a summer quaffer pretending to be profound. Stone fruit follows, peach most clearly, then a long, stony, mineral finish that keeps pulling you back. Moorish is an overused word, but here it fits.

Ried Kremser Weinzierlberg sits in the Kremstal, one of Austria’s most reliable sources of structured, ageworthy whites. The vineyard is divided into three distinct sections, each lending its own character, but the fruit for this wine comes from one of the oldest parcels. These vines cling to steep terraces that can only be harvested by hand. There are no shortcuts here, physical or philosophical.

What makes this site truly special is the soil. A thin layer of sand over granite. As a result, the Wess family’s vines, now over 70 years old, remain on their original rootstocks. That alone explains the intensity and drive in the glass.

Flavours build rather than sprawl. Peach and preserved lemon sit alongside camomile, herbs and a confident flick of white pepper. With air, you find quince, smoked, lightly charred peach and a deep stony minerality that anchors everything.

Drink from 2026 to 2043 if you have the patience. Or open it now, cook a proper schnitzel, and understand why Christoph Waltz chose it.

The wine is available from Majestic online for £16.50 if you buy any six bottles.