Posts Tagged ‘Austria’
Two dryish Rieslings
The teaser sent to MWG members prior to the tasting described this flight as “Two aromatic still whites made from the same grape variety. No other connections.”
Kamptal 2013, Riesling, Zöbing, Hirsch ($27.15, 12196979)
100% biodynamically farmed Riesling sourced from several vineyards around the village of Zöbing. The vines average 15 years old. After gentle pressing, the must was allowed to clarify by settling then transferred to temperature-controlled (22°C) stainless steel tanks for fermentation with indigenous yeasts. Screwcapped. Reducing sugar: 4.1 g/l. 12% ABV. Quebec agent: Avant-Garde.
Lemon/lime, white rocks and an evanescing note of “vulcanized tires.” A faint spritz is apparent on the first sip but soon dissipates. Stony tending to austere though softened by the ripe fruit and touch of residual sugar. Backbone comes from acidity that some described as “aggressive” but I found enlivening. Long, clean finish. A wine to drink with dinner rather than sipping on its own before. Very good if a little overshadowed by the Baker. (Buy again? Yes.)
Vinemount Ridge QVA 2012, Riesling, Picone Vineyard, Charles Baker ($35.50, 12718482)
Some background on Baker here. 100% Riesling from vines averaging 30 to 35 years old and grown in the Picone vineyard. Sees only stainless steel until bottling. Screwcapped. Reducing sugar: 15 g/l. 11% ABV. Quebec agent: Rézin.
Burned match, “naphthalene” and “Fort McMurray” aromas blow off, leaving classic lemon, lime, grapefruit, green apple and quartz. In the mouth, the wine is remarkably pure, deep, intense, balanced and long, packed with fruit and minerals, all carried on a stream of fluent acidity. It’s also drier than most Canadian Rieslings. Evolves and improves in the glass. Really impressive, price notwithstanding (before the bottle was unveiled, I mentioned that this was the most expensive wine of the evening, prompting one taster to joke, “Then it must be Canadian.”). A world-class wine with at least a decade’s aging potential and undoubtedly one of the best Canadian Rieslings ever made. As such, it’s unmissable. (Buy again? Yes.)
MWG January 14th tasting: flight 4 of 7
Sehr guter Zweiglet
Burgenland 2013, Zweigelt, Heideboden, Weingut Pittnauer ($20.30, 12677115)
100% biodynamically and organically farmed Zweigelt. Fermented with indigenous yeasts (thee only addition is a little sulphur at bottling). Matured 12 months in netural oak barrels. Reducing sugar: 4.3 g/l. 13.5% ABV. Screwcapped. Quebec agent: Rézin.
Spicy meatloaf, slate, dried cherries and an earthy-mushroomy note. Medium-bodied, fundamentally supple and quite dry. Layered, with the sweet-tart fruit on the surface and minerals, earth and wood below. The tannins are light and raspy, the acidity bright and nippy. Long-steeped blackcurrant tea – tannic astringency and all – colours the sustained finish. Suave but with an appealingly rustic edge, this seems a little primary at present, though I’m sure it would make a great pairing for a hearty stew. Would rank this alongside the more elegant Meinklang as one of the best Zweigelts I’ve tasted. (Buy again? For sure, though only a few bottles are left in the system.)
Better than ever
Kamptal 2014, Riesling, Domaene Gobelsburg ($19.05, 10790309)
100% Riesling from vines between three and 20 years old. The farming is technically sustainable but close to organic. Harvested in late October. Fermented and matured in stainless steel. 6.9 g/l. 12.5% ABV. Screwcapped. Quebec agent: Les vins Alain Bélanger.
Slate and limestone, lemon-lime, green apple, white flowers and sawed pine. The faint spritz and crisp upfront fruit fade across the mid-palate revealing a matrix of minerals. Zingy acidity nips any sweetness in the bud and turns the finish mouth-wateringly tart. Ends on a salty lemon note. So clean and bracing. Always a good buy but better than ever in 2014. (Buy again? Yes.)
Get ’em while you’re hot
Will be posting notes on the COS wines soon. In the meantime, a heads-up on a couple of newly arrived, perfect summer wines that also happen to be in short supply. Interested? Act fast.
Niederösterreich 2014, Grüner Veltliner, Am Berg, Weingut Bernhard Ott ($20.85, 12646520)
(Not currently listed on SAQ.com. Reportedly part of an experiment involving a few wines stocked in fairly large quantities exclusively at the Atwater SAQ Sélection store, where you’ll find it in front of the organic wine section.) Am Berg translates as hillside. Ott’s wines are usually organic and biodynamic but this, a cuvée made from grapes grown in the estate’s and nearby vineyards, may be neither. In any case it’s 100% Grüner Veltliner from vines averaging 25 years old. Manually harvested and whole-cluster pressed. Fermented (with selected yeasts) and matured, on its lees, in stainless steel tanks. Screwcapped. Residual sugar (according to the estate): 1.6 g/l. 11.5% ABV. Quebec agent: Avant-Garde.
Textbook nose: lime, green apple, lemon grass, chalk and white pepper. In the piehole, it’s fresh and fruity from the get-go. Clean and bracing with acidity so crisp it feels almost like spritz. Minerals galore, especially on the tangy finish, whose overtones of salt marsh grass linger long. A beguiling GV at a great price. Fine on its own as an aperitif, very enjoyable with a salad of cucumbers, red onion, fresh dill, lemon juice and crème fraîche. (Buy again? Absolutely.)
Valpolicella 2013, Borgomarcellise, Marion ($20.00, 12328311)
Corvina (60%) and Rondinella (40%) according to the SAQ (while Corvina-dominated, earlier vintages have involved four or five varieties, so you might want to take this info with a grain of salt). Reportedly from young vines. The only winemaking info I’ve been able to find is that this is the estate’s only wine that doesn’t incorporate raisinated grapes. Reducing sugar: 4.8 g/l. 12.5% ABV. Quebec agent: L’Enoteca di Moreno De Marchi.
Pale ruby in the glass. Wafting nose of fresh cherry, red Twizzlers, dried earth, dried herbs and sandalwood. Light and bright on the palate, an alluring combination of gossamer fruit, juicy acidity and slender tannins. The sweet-tart cherry dries as it moves through the mouth, while minerals and a faint astringency inflect the lip-smacking finish. Serve lightly chilled. (Buy again? Yes.)
Salt and pepper
The last time I saw one of Weingut Jurtschitsch’s bottles on an SAQ shelf was in 2002. In the intervening years, a new generation has taken over the winemaking, the estate has been certified organic and the Little J line of affordable Grüner Veltliner and Zweigelt has been introduced. Technical info on this is hard to find; the wine’s not mentioned on the producer’s website and no details are provided on the Quebec agent’s. Is it made from estate-grown grapes? Is it fermented with native yeasts? Is it filtered or fined? Your guess is as good as mine.
Kamptal 2013, Grüner Veltliner, Little J, Weingut Jurtschitsch ($17.75, 12486562)
100% organically farmed Grüner Veltliner. Manually harvested. Destemmed. Gently pressed. Fermented and matured in stainless steel tanks. Screwcapped. 12.5% ABV. Quebec agent: Rézin.
Textbook nose of lime and white grapefruit, crushed seashells, white pepper. In the mouth, it’s clean, fruity and not bone dry. A faint spritz and souring acidity enliven. Abundant minerals deepen. The running thread of salinity is most obvious on the attack and finish. White pepper lingers after the fruit has disappeared. Fresher and finer than many similarly priced GVs, this seems tailor made for sipping as an aperitif and accompanying raw seafood (shellfish, sushi, tartare), Vietnamese fare, maybe even salads. Would so hit the spot on a sweltering July evening. (Buy again? Several bottles with an eye to July.)
Released a couple of weeks ago, this has already disappeared from several SAQ stores, so don’t dawdle if you’re interested. An extra inducement for acting fast is the Generous Wines campaign: for every bottle of white wine purchased at the SAQ (in stores and online) today and tomorrow, the monopoly will donate $1 to Food Banks of Quebec.
Salon VIP 2014: Root day at Rézin (5/7)
Burgenland 2012, Blaufränkisch, Heideboden, Weingut Pittnauer ($24.50, private import, 6 bottles/case)
Located near the village of Gols, on the northeastern shore of the Neusiedlersee not far from the Hungarian border, the estate is renowned for its St. Laurents and Pinot Noirs. This 100% Blaufränkisch come from biodynamically and organically farmed quarter-century old vines grown in the Heideboden vineyard. Manually harvested. Fermented with indigenous yeasts in stainless steel tanks at 27°C. Matured 12 months in neutral barrels. 13.5% ABV. Quebec agent: Rézin.
Dark berries, flowers, spice and graphite on the nose. Fresh and lively in the mouth. Supple tannins provide just enough grit while streaming acidity carries the juicy, very dry fruit (mainly cherry) into a clean, minerally finish. Modern in its elegance but classic in its down-to-earthiness. Food-friendly to the max. (Buy again? Sure.)
Salon VIP 2014: Root day at Rézin (1/7)
We wended our way to the Groupe Rézin stand, where Steve Beauséjour was, as ever, an enthusiastic host. Despite its being a root day – not a fruit day – on the biodynamic calendar, the wines were showing well, he said. And indeed they were.
Grüner Veltliner 2012, Rosensteig, Kremstal, Weingut Geyerhof ($28.85, private import, 12 bottles/case)
Currently comprising 19 hectares of vines, 70% of them Grüner Veltliner, the estate has been in the Maier family’s hands since the 16th century and certified organic since 1988. This 100% Grüner Veltliner comes from vineyards in Hollenberg, located on the south side of the Danube, east of Krems. The grapes are manually harvested in early October and whole-cluster pressed. After clarification by settling, the must is fermented with indigenous yeasts, matured on the lees for several months and filtered and bottled in mid-March. Sees only stainless steel until bottling. 12.5% ABV. Screwcapped. Quebec agent: Rézin.
Textbook GV nose: lime, green melon, white minerals, whiffs of grass, mint and white pepper. Nimble, fleet and fluid in the mouth yet also very present. Clean and tangy fruit, crystalline minerals and crisp acidity dance across the palate and fade into a saline, peppery finish. So easy to down. A summer sipper par excellence, this would also go famously with salads, vegetable dishes and mildly spiced, not-sweet, white-proteined Asian food. (Buy again? A bit pricey for an everyday wine – a recurring theme at this show – but yes.)
Salon VIP 2014: Weingut Wieninger
Abutting Vienna (the city centre is clearly visible from some of the vineyards), Weingut Wieninger comprises 45 hectares on both sides of the Danube. On the outskirts of the city proper, between the houses and the forest (the Vienna Woods of story and song), are the Nussberg (also spelled Nußberg) vineyards, southerly exposed and gently sloping, where the soil consists of weathered, shell-rich limestone (25 to 65%), loam, clay and sand over solid limestone and where the breezes and temperature modifying effects of the river create near-ideal growing conditions. On the other bank are the Bisamberg vineyards, where the soil is light sandy loess over solid limestone.
The affable Fritz Wieninger was at the Vinealis stand, pouring five of his currently available wines. As a group they seemed more immediately accessible and food-friendly than some of their compatriots, less stern and austere and less demanding of cellar time – well-made wines you’d be happy to drink while sitting in the estate’s wine tavern (Heuriger) or digging into dinner at home.
Chardonnay Classic 2013, Weingut Wieninger ($26.65, private import, 12 bottles/case)
100% Chardonnay from 15- to 30-year-old biodynamically farmed vines, nearly all of which are in the Bisamberg vineyards. Manually harvested and sorted. Gently destemmed. Macerated for about three hours, then pressed pneumatically. The must was transferred to stainless steel tanks (85%) and large neutral oak barrels (15%) for alcoholic fermentation. Malolactic fermentation was prevented in the tanks and allowed in the barrels; occasional lees-stirring took place in the tanks and barrels. After five months, the wines were blended and bottled. 12.5% ABV. Quebec agent: Vinealis.
Lemon with just a hint of yellow fruit. On the nose and in the mouth shows a steely, Riesling-like quality. Clean, crisp, minerally and dry. The farthest thing from blowsy, a fresh and tonic take on Chardonnay. (Buy again? At $22, it’d be killer. At $26.65, sure.)
Riesling 2013, Wiener Berge, Weingut Wieninger ($26.35, private import, 12 bottles/case)
100% Riesling from several converting-to-biodynamic Bisamberg vineyards (hail wiped out the usual Nussberg crop). Manually harvested. Manually and machine sorted. A short maceration was followed by pressing. The must was transferred to stainless steel tanks for fermentation with indigenous yeasts. Matured on the lees for a few months, then blended and bottled. 13.5% ABV. Quebec agent: Vinealis.
Clean and fresh. Bracing acidity lights up the lemon-lime and minerals. If you look for it, you can find a hint of residual sugar but the alcohol is nowhere apparent. Finishes dry and stony. Very drinkable. (Buy again? At $22, it’d be killer. At $26.35, sure.)
Grüner Veltliner 2013, Wiener Berge, Weingut Wieninger ($26.35, private import, 12 bottles/case)
100% Grüner Veltliner from biodynamically farmed vines, most of which are in the Bisamberg vineyards (a small proportion are in the Nussberg vineyards). Manually harvested. Mechanically sorted. A short maceration was followed by pressing. The must was clarified and transferred to stainless steel tanks for fermentation at low temperatures. Matured on the lees for a few months, then blended and bottled. 13% ABV. Quebec agent: Vinealis.
Grass, white pepper, quartz and a hint of lime. Shows some citrus on the palate but is more about minerals and crisp acidity. Ends clean and fresh. A classic, easy-drinking GV. (Buy again? Sure, tho’ another four bucks will get you the all singing, all dancing Nussberg.)
Grüner Veltliner 2013, Nussberg, Weingut Wieninger ($30.50, private import, 6 bottles/case)
100% Grüner Veltliner from vines in the Nussberg vineyards. Manually harvested and sorted. The grapes were lightly crushed, left to macerate on the skins a few hours and then pressed. The must was transferred to stainless steel tanks for fermentation at low temperatures. Matured on the lees for a month or two longer than the Wiener Berge cuvée, then blended and bottled. 14% ABV. Quebec agent: Vinealis.
Everything found in the Wiener Berge GV and then some. Still primary but already complex and dimensional. Powerful and intense but, unlike some high-end GVs, remarkably balanced and alluring in its youth. A wine it’d be fun to buy a case of and track the evolution over the next six years. (Buy again? Yes.)
Gemischter Satz 2012, Nussberg, Alte Reben, Weingut Wieninger ($44.50, private import, 6 bottles/case)
Similar to what Deitz does in Alsace, this is a field blend of nine grape varieties – Weissburgunder, Neuburger, Welschriesling, Grüner Veltliner, Sylvaner, Zierfandler, Rotgipfler, Traminer and Riesling – from biodynamically farmed 50-year-old vines co-planted in Nussberg’s Ulm vineyard. Manually harvested and sorted. After three hours’ maceration, the grapes were pneumatically pressed. The must was transferred to stainless steel tanks for low-temperature fermentation and maturation on the fine lees. Bottled nearly one year after harvest. 14.5% ABV. Quebec agent: Vinealis.
Fragrant, complex nose: wisps of medicinal honey, flowers, citrus, yellow fruit and a subtle minerality. In the mouth, it’s hefty (but not heavy), layered, broad and dry. A stream of acidity keeps everything vibrant. A hint of bitterness colours the long finish. Not the dog’s breakfast I was fearing. On the contrary, an appealing, complex wine with a certain precision and tension. (Buy again? Yes.)
Next stop: Rézin.
MWG March 21st tasting (1/6): Two aromatic whites
To mark the passing of Cellier as we know it, the tasting included only bottles from the Spring 2013 issue of the magazine, nearly all of them from the March 21st release. The still reds were double-carafed an hour or two before we got around to them. Time constraints meant the whites were poured within minutes of opening, which may explain some of the oddness we encountered.
Grüner Veltliner 2011, Wagram, Weinberghof Karl Fritsch ($16.75, 11885203)
The 20-hectare, biodynamic estate is located in the Wagram region, about 60 km west of Vienna. This 100% Grüner Veltliner is fermented and matured in stainless steel tanks. Screwcapped. 12.0% ABV.
Lime zest, chalk, quartz and the faintest hint of white pepper. Denser than expected on the palate. Ripe. Dry but not arid. Tingly acidity. The minerally substrate lasts through the long, citric finish. A bit simple but good clean fun. (Buy again? Yep.)
Colli Bolognesi Classico 2011, Pignoletto, Fattorie Vallona ($20.55, 11876041)
The Pignoletto grape variety is indigenous to Emilia-Romagna and common in the hills around Bologna. It may be related to Grechetto. Technical information on this wine is virtually non-existent. One or two websites claim earlier vintages contained 10% Riesling. In any case, my guess is that this is made entirely in neutral containers, possibly stainless steel. 13.5% ABV.
Candied lemon, rocks, faint dried herbs. Slightly spritzy, slightly off-dry, slightly weighty. White fruit, minerals, a hint of almond skin and a whack of acidity. The long finish is spoiled by an acrid note. (Buy again? Only to give it another chance.)
Cellier’s lone Vetliner
Kamptal 2011, Grüner Veltliner, Heiligenstein, Trocken, Hirsch ($23.45, 11695055)
100% biodynamically farmed Grüner Veltliner. Fermented and matured in stainless steel. 12.5% ABV. Screwcapped.
Nuanced nose of lime leaf, white pepper, quartz and honey. Medium bodied with a slightly viscous texture. Dry but rounded by a little residual sugar, which in turn is checked by a faint carbon dioxide tingle and undertowing bitterness. The green-pearish, citrusy fruit is carried on a silvery stream of acidity before fading to stones and lime pith on the long finish. Less steely than expected (perhaps due to the hot vintage): an elegant, soft-spoken wine that, while enjoyable now, will surely improve with a few years in the bottle. A satisfactory pairing for boudin blanc, it would also be a natural with schnitzel. Cellier claims it’s oyster-friendly and, for once, I can see why.
Brett happens 