Although Austria is not well-known for its wines outside the Teutonic world, in fact, wine has been produced in the region for thousands of year, and in earnest since the Middle Ages. In recent years, Austrian wines have been promoted internationally, yet it still takes a special effort to find more than a token sampling in local stores. As a result, in order to meet the requirement for a critical mass of selections, I had to resort to filing an SLO (Special Liquor Order) through the PA LCB, as well as raiding my own cellar for the Klosterneuburg St Laurent which I purchased during a tour of the winery/monastery outside of Vienna in 2013. In the case of the latter, it was definitely worth the wait and I was delighted to share this special bottle with appreciative, discriminating wine-loving friends. But I'm getting ahead of myself.
We began the evening with the preeminent Austrian white wine - Grüner Veltliner, and I must say that not only was it a crowd-pleaser, but also the finest GV I've ever tasted. Not incidentally, the 2012 vintage was selected as one of the Wine Spectator's Top 100 for that year. All the elements of an exceptional wine came together in a harmonious, well-rounded and senses-filled tasting experience - aromas, texture, fruit, acidity, palate and finish.
The second white of the evening featured the renowned Tokaj from Hungary. The distinctive nose of this mainstay of Central Europe may turn off the novice by its rather pungent, even funky, aromas, but do not fear - on the palate, its depth, smoothness, and complexity of fruit and mineral undertones rewards the adventurous imbiber. And the aromas may even grow on you!
Germany was represented by a Spätburgunder from the Württemberg region, and as the name implies, it originates from Burgundy and is better known to Anglos as Pinot Noir. Whereas Germany is better known for its sweet Rieslings, this is not the first high quality Spätburgunder that I've tasted. I found it to be reminiscent of certain Oregonian Pinot Noirs, with distinctive coffee notes but also ripe black cherry flavors and zippy acidity supported by bold tannins.
Sad to say, the SLO Zweigelt was somewhat of a disappointment, especially given the extra effort I spent obtaining it. Not that it was a "bad" wine; rather it did not hold up well to the competition of the evening, which is a bit odd, considering that it's a hybrid of the other two Austrian varietals, namely St Laurent and Blanfränkisch. For moderately priced everyday kind of wine, it fills the bill, but do not expect skies to open and the earth to move.
Do check out the Blaufränkisch, if you get a chance! This is a very appealing wine with an earthy-mineral spiciness laced with dark berry flavors, and is very food friendly. Read more about the region where it originates in the notes towards the end of this post.
I've already sung the praises of the St Laurent above and you can read a full description below. While its availability may be spotty in the US (I found an SLO listing - spelling error included - on the PA LCB website for the 2011 vintage at $25.89), I highly recommend visiting the winery in person if you're ever in Vienna:
https://www.stift-klosterneuburg.at/en/
Domäne Wachau Terrassen
Federspiel Grüner Veltliner 2015 ($16, WineWorks, NJ)
Origin: Wachau
Valley, Austria
Varietal: 100% Grüner
Veltliner
Production/Tasting
Notes: Steep terraced
yineyards, a cool, marginal climate and meager primary rock soils define the
wines; „Federspiel“ stands for dry, medium bodied and elegantly balanced wines
of the Wachau; meager primary rock soils, the vineyard sites carefully
hand-picked from steeply terraced vineyards throughout the Wachau valley;
characterized by fresh fruit and a pronounced minerality; Bright yellow-green
in color, distinctive aromas of golden delicious apple, white pepper, hints of exotic
fruits, balanced with delicate herbal notes; medium-body crisp acidity, juicy
fruits and white spice on the finish. (2012 vintage was a Wine Spectator “Top 100” )
Food Pairings: fish, seafood, and
poultry as well as the traditional Austrian cuisine “Wiener Schnitzel”.
Alcohol: 12.5%
Patricius Tokaj Dry
Furmint 2014 ($17, WineWorks)
Classification: Tokaj
(PDO: Protected Denomination of Origin – world’s first designated wine
appellation) Hungary
Varietal: 100%
Furmint
Production/Tasting
Notes: Bright, racy; filled with mouthful of stone fruit and tropical flavors,
with mineral undertones (90 points, WineEnthusiast)
Food Pairings: seafood,
roasted or grilled chicken; sushi, Asian cuisine
Alcohol: 12%
Grafen Neipper Spätburgunder
2011 ($24, PA)
Origin: Württemberg,
Germany
Varietal: 100% Spätburgunder
(Pinot Noir)
Production/Tasting
Notes: Char and coffee notes add
toasty notes to ripe black cherry flavors; brisk cranberry aciditiy runs
through palate adding zip and verve; finely textured; bold tannins linger on the
finish (90 points WineEnthusiast)
Alcohol: 13%
Wachter Wiesler
Bela-Joska Eisenberg Blaufränkisch 2015 ($18, WineWorks)
Classification: Eisenberg
DAC (Districtus
Austriae Controllatus) Austria
Varietal: 100% Blaufränkisch
(also known as Lemberger in Pacific Northwest; Blauer Limberger in Germany)
Production/Tasting
Notes: 15-40 year old vines; 15 months aging in 1-3,000 liter barrels; typical
earthy-mineral spiciness, a touch of white pepper, underlain with an abundance
of dark berries.
Alcohol: 13%
Huber Zweigelt 2013 ($16, SLO, PA)
Origin: Niederösterreich (Lower Austria)
Varietal: 100% Zweigelt
(hybrid of Blaufränkisch
and St Laurent, created in 1922 by Fritz Zweigelt)
Production/Tasting
Notes: Loess soil; selection
of the best physiological ripe grapes; crushed; cold maceration for 2 days;
fermentation in stainless steel; after fermentation maceration for 1 week;
pressed; malolactic fermentation; aged for 5 months in 50 % stainless steel and
50 % big wooden casks; fully ripe sour cherries on the nose; very fruity style;
compact on the palate; fine, soft tannins; flavors of red berries and prunes
echoed by minty tones.
Food Pairings: Perfect for
terrines or game pies; grilled chicken as well as to duck or goose; Also with
potato or noodle dishes
Alcohol: 13%
Stift Klosterneuburg
St. Laurent 2010 (~ 13 euros, on site; US availability unknown)
Origin: Tattendorf,
Thermenregion, Lower Austria
Varietal: 100% St
Laurent
Production/Tasting
Notes: Alluvial
gravel soil with brown earth; single-Vineyard: Stiftsbreite; aged
for 16 months in large oak casks; deep
ruby-pomegranate colouration. Hints of star anise and gingerbread, and fine
cherry and sour cherry notes make it a particularly elegant representative of
its variety. A red wine with balance and velvety texture which leaves one
waxing enthusiastic.
Food Pairing: Game and wild
fowl, roast beef.
Alcohol: 13%
Notes on the Wines, Producers and
Regions
Eisenberg DAC
Hot days, cool nights and unique soil
The terroir of the Eisenberg region is unique: the perfect interplay between climate, geology, topography and the particularly ferruginous soils makes wines with a very distinct character. The Pannonian-Illyrian climate of the Eisenberg DAC area has already led the Celts to cultivate wine here some 2,800 years ago, creating ideal conditions for the Blaufränkisch- Vine. Typical for the Hügellschaftschaft: here the average temperature is significantly lower than in the rest of the Burgenland, rising warm and declining cool air ensures a constant circulation between the vines, the winds scattered hailing clouds, and the forests protect against bad weather and cool the berries during the vegetation phase. In short: optimal terroir for full-bodied grapes with a perfectly preserved acidity and freshness - and for unique, long-lasting wines.
Mineral-fruity spice
The classic representative of the region: mineral, fruity-spicy, juicy. This Blaufränkisch proudly shows its origin: with its typical varietal bouquet of fresh red and dark berries and white pepper, with its elegant structure, succulent acidity, livelyness and fine, mature tannins. The exact time of the vintage - between the end of September and the middle of October - is determined each year so that the stylistic characteristics of the "Eisenberger" are preserved. The expansion of EisenbergDAC is carried out in the steel tank or in the large wooden barrel - because wood flavors are only to be recognized minimally.
The name "Eisenberger"
has been used for more than a century as a designation for the typical
Blaufränkisch wines from southern Burgenland. In 2010, the region was declared
by law the area for typical ancestry wine. The name: EisenbergDAC. DAC stands
for Districtus Austriae Controllatus and is the classification, which since
2002 defines area-typical Austrian quality wines.
