I feel compelled to simply express how impressed I continue to be with the general direction of Austria's wine culture. There are still too many insipid, overcropped and uninspiring wines to be found, but they seem to be showing up less frequently in the marketplace. As the follow notes suggest, there are a growing number of growers and producers whose insistence on naturally made and, increasingly, estate-bottled wines augur well for their future. While the Wachau, Kremstal, and Kamptal remain the most consistent areas for beautifully rendered and, indeed world class wines (mostly whites), there are a bevy of superb wines to be found in the vast, geologically heterogeneous tracts of land to the southeast.
Of these regions, Carnuntum seems forwardly placed to stamp itself as the epicenter of quality oriented reds. The native grapes Zweigelt and Blaufrankisch thrive in this easterly region, and international varietals including Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, and Syrah are being planted with greater frequency, with a handful of producers making convincing wines with still attractive price tags. The best producers in Carnuntum, whether working with varietal wines or blends, seem to capture a sense of concentration and distinctiveness wedded to understated and polished structures that, in terms of consistency of execution, seem to me to elude the reds of Austria's other wine regions.
A number of the wines in this report are imported by Michael Skurnik, with many selections made by one of his associates, Terry Thiese. Especially for those lacking experience with Austrian wines (or any imported wines for that matter) it would be difficult to overstate the crucial role of the importer. In fact, I would go as far as stating that for the consumer a good importer is as valuable a piece of information as one can find on a wine label. I may risk sounding like a broken record, but importers who proudly represent the wines of organic/biodynamic estates and producers intent on bottling, except in rare circumstances, without fining or filtration are most worthy of consumer attention. Names like Michael Skurnik and Kermit Lynch on the back of a wine label will never assure the consumer of a profoundly complex and ageworthy wine, but they are rarely another manifestation of the inexpressive and distressingly denuded wine whose only "merit" is that it possesses "no hard edges." Only that those days were entirely in the past!
For the convenience of readers, wines are listed by points and in descending order. I am avoiding adding notes on producers for reasons of space. Wines scored below 85 are scored but not afforded tasting commentaries. All are ready to drink unless otherwise noted.
Austria
92 - 2009 Schloss Gobelsburg Gruner Veltliner "Renner," Kamptal
The 2009 "Renner," hails from the famous Gaisberg vineyard located on the river Kamp, a northern tributary of the Danube. A perfumy bouquet offers lemon meringue, flowers, sweet spices and Gruner's telltale green bean/herbal pungency, while the palate captures a lean, driven, powerful character that is rare in this early-ripening vintage. Today this comes across as perhaps a touch young, but its concentration, seamlessness and length suggest at least half a dozen years of outstanding drinkability.
90 - 2009 Ludwig Hiedler Gruner Veltliner "Loss," Kamptal
The 2009 Gruner Veltlines "Loss" is grown entirely on parcels with a high occurrence of Loess, a yellowish, ashy soil created by receding glaciers during the last ice age. This soil drains expressly and efficiently, forcing wines to pursue deep root structures to assure themselves of a ready water supply. Vivid aromatics redolent of candied lemons, flat Sprite and dried apricots lead to a surprisingly tropical, almost honeyed character on the palate, with a very sexy underlying exoticness. There is a wonderful richness here, and a well-mannered finish.
89+ - 2010 Leth Gruner Veltliner "Steinagrund," Traisental
Hailing from Loess-bedecked and rocky terrain of the Traisental region south of the Wachau, the 2010 Leth "Steinagrund," ("stony soil") leads with notes of ripe pears, white pepper and flowers. I like the density of flavors allied to the prominent acidity that characterizes so many 2010s, lending the wine a slender attractiveness.
89+ - 2008 Glatzer Blaufrankisch, Carnuntum
I am ecstatic to have discover the wines of Walter Glatzer, an organic producer stationed in Carnuntum (for more on which, see above). His 2008 Blaufrankisch is scented like a well-endowed Sonoma County Syrah, with beautifully sculpted aromas of roasted herbs, cherry jam and game that impress for their length and ripeness, while an expressive detail of dark chocolate emerges on the finish. Firmly structured and beautifully rendered.
88 - 2007 Glatzer Zweigelt Riedencuvee, Carnuntum
More supply textured is the 2007 Zweigelt Reidencuvee, a pleasure-bent offering that houses flavors of worn leather, frying bacon, smoky raspberries within a lip-smacking, dares-you-not-to-take-another-sip sort of style. Nice background details for the more prominent and eminently enjoyable dark cherry and raspberry character.
This belongs to a class of wines called "Gemischter Satz." Such labeling denotes a wine produced from a number of white grape varieties grown in the same vineyard and harvested on the same day. No grape-specific differentiation is permitted during sorting or fermentation in this very traditional style of winemaking. Of the two tasted here, I preferred the 2010 Rotes Haus Amnussberg Weiner Classic for its greater depth of flavor, including a distinctive hazelnut edge to the lemon starburst flavors that detonate on the palate. A touch of residual sugar is briskly housed in this piquant white that harbors a healthy acidity and an elegant, charming demeanor.
85 - 2010 Weingut Christ Gemischter Satz,Vienna
Also enjoyable is this offering from Weingut Christ, a wine laced with pretty notes of white peaches, flowers, melon and cinnamon as well as nice aromatic persistence. Only a surprisingly short finish proves penalizing.
85 - 2009 Heidi Schrock Weinbauerin in Rust Weissburgunder, Neusiedlersee
I am surprised I eventually succumbed to the virtues of this wine considering its initial blue cheese and aging produce-inflecked bouquet. Most of those odd details blew off with air, giving way to fresh, even vibrant flavors that evoke orange and orange rind and a touch of tropical fruit. I'm not always convinced about the qualities of Weissburgunder, but this delicious effort leaves me smiling.
85 - 2009 Weingut Christ Blauer Zweigelt Bisamberg, Vienna
The 2009 conveys rich, almost candied aromas that seem a bit artificial to me. There is no problem with drinkability here, although the monolithic profile and lack of genuine midpalate concentration disappoint. After all that, the finish does its best to redeem things, revealing a balsamic, earthy edge. I'd love to revisit this slightly perplexing Zweigelt in the near future.
81 - 2010 Martinshof Gruner Veltliner, Vienna
Other Various Tasting Notes
88 - 2008 Zind Humbrecht Pinot Blanc, Alsace, France
The 2008 Pinot Blanc flows with liquid dandelions, lemons and a hint of bitter greens. A very distinctive and well-crafted Pinot Blanc, with a razor sharp acidity to keep everything in focus. Impressive.
87+ - 2009 Mount Difficulty Pinot Noir, Central Otago, New Zealand
The 2009 Mount Difficulty is a pleasant if somewhat uninspiring Pinot Noir, rendered in a style that favors purity and cleanliness of action that, to this taster, come at the expense of complexity and individuality. Exhibits a noteworthy amplitude and fresh berry character on the palate, but remains adamantly one dimensional even with extended time in the glass.
87 - 2007 Ramsay Cabernet Sauvignon, North Coast, California
An excellent value in North Coast Cabernet Sauvignon is the sweetly fruited 2007 Ramsay, which belies its outstanding vintage in its supple, silky tannins, while saturating the palate with fennel bulb, herbs, and sweet dark fruit tones. This is nicely extracted, and represent outstanding value. Delicious.
85 - 2009 Roth Cabernet Sauvignon, Alexander Valley, California
Value-oriented readers might also seek out the 2009 Roth Cabernet Sauvignon Alexander Valley, crafted in a fresh, early drinking style that oozes mint, eucalyptus, and a slight notion of parched soil. Its modest capabilities are betrayed on the back end, which becomes medicinal and astringent. Still, there is a good deal to like at this price.
85 - 2010 Sean Minor Pinot Noir, Central Coast, California
The 2010 seems just a touch short on varietal character and vigor, as its cherry fruit leans closer to fruit roll up than fresh cherries, although healthy acid levels and pleasantly firm sense of structure must be counted as virtues. I can't believe I'm saying this considering that the Sean Minor wines are almost always intended for immediate consumption, but a year or eighteen months in bottle may help shed some primary fruit, while lending greater polish to the tannins.
83 - 2009 Stickybeak Pinot Noir, Sonoma Coast, California
82 - 2006 Zind Humbrecht Pinot Blanc, Alsace, France
No comments:
Post a Comment