Tag Archives: austria

Wine of the Day: Stift Goettweig Messwein Rose Pinot Noir Kremstal 2015 7-11-16

Stift Goettweig Messwein Rose Pinot Noir, Kremstal 2015 750ML ($21.95) Buy now: $18 special

Stift Goettweig Messwein Rose Pinot Noir, Kremstal 2015

Stift Goettweig Messwein Rose Pinot Noir, Kremstal 2015

Fine wines have been made at Stift Goettweig since the 11th century. Originally a Benedictine alter wine (messwein), this rosé from Austria’s Kremstal region is made entirely of Pinot Noir. Light and dry, its strawberry, cherry, and raspberry notes mingle deliciously with some spice. Note the Rococo cherub on the label, and the screw cap’s pastel god reclining in horse-drawn chariot! A touch of old-school class for a divine little rosé. – Daniel

Wine of the Day: Bernhard Ott Gruner Veltliner 2013 4-20-16

Weingut Bernhard Ott Feuersbrunner Spiegel Gruner Veltliner Erste OTW Lage, Wagram 2013 750ML ($59.95) Buy Now: $49 special

Ott Feuersbrunner Spiegel Gruner Why we love it: Length and layers. There’s the pretty, initial fruit and then everything which follows. That kick of ginger and spice is particularly lovely, and I was struck with a nostalgic reflectiveness once the bottle had emptied. – Tyler

David Schildknecht–Vinous 93 points “Honey, white peach and quince allied to hints of truffle and kelp put one in mind of certain very rich Chenins. Full yet barely over 13% in alcohol, and boasting lusciously satisfying primary juiciness, this takes on more typical Grüner Veltliner characteristics in the mid-palate in the form of caramelized parsnip, snap pea and blond tobacco, not to mention the white pepper, allied with ginger, that informs its long mouthwateringly savory and buoyant finish. Fruit from these vines, noted Ott, was especially affected by millerandage and consequently concentrated. A mere 600 liters were harvested from the Spiegel’s eight hectares!”

Wine Advocate 92 points “The 2013 Grüner Veltliner Spiegel Erste Lage is Ott’s third vintage of this Feuersbrunn cru which carries a mix of very old and very young vines which are cultivated on south-facing terraces in 280 to more than 300 meters above sea level and well protected to the northwest by the Hengstberg gravel ridge. The soils, derived from a massive blanket of loess that is draped over the Gföhler gneiss bedrock, marine sediments, and ancient gravels of the Danube River, are calcareous and silty and, in 2013, bore a light golden colored, tropical flavored, rich, sweet and harmonious Veltliner of great intensity and elegance. It intermixes ripe peach and mango aromas with tobacco and mineral flavors and develops a great length which makes the Spiegel on a par with the Rosenberg., the former more sweet, the latter more subtle perhaps.” WA

 

Wine of the Day: Nikolaihof Neuburger 4-1-16

Familie Saahs Nikolaihof Neuburger, Wachau, Austria 2011 750ML ($39.95) Buy Now: Was $33, Now $28

Nikolaihof NeuburgerI’d been reading an interview with Nikolaus Saahs, known for making intensely beautiful Riesling and Gruner at the legendary Nikolaihof estate. Tucked between anecdotes about harvest and the minutiae of the winemaking life, Saahs conceded that his favorite varietal to drink was neither which made his family’s centuries-old estate famous. Instead, it was Neuberger.

…Neuberger?

Neuburger. Native to Austria, the grape is a cross between Roter Veltliner and Sylvaner. Aromatically, it conjures up thoughts of off-dry Riesling, perhaps a chilly bottle of Gruner smuggled into a park on the first warm day of the year. On the palate, however, comparison is put to rest. The 2011 Neuburger is fleshy and generous, with a hint of spice and lots of savory bookends. The finish is insistent, remaining on your taste buds as the next whiff of honey, melon, and fresh herbs comes to be.

You’d be wisest to decant and play around with the wine a little. It’s the sort of bottle which could patch together a lot of otherwise-disparate flavors well, like at a potluck dinner or with that stubborn family recipe which evades perfect pairings. With an open mind, this could truly delight. – Tyler