A LONG WINE WEEKEND IN AUSTRIA

BUCOLIC BURGENLAND AND STYLISH STYRIA

 

Of those countries that have made great strides over the last few years to enable the world to appreciate the quality of their wines, Austria must rank amongst the foremost.

 

A long weekend, organised with Paula Sindberg, of the Ultimate Wine Company in Marlow (www.ultimatewines.co.uk) brought out the fun in this gastronomic trip as well as being extremely educational to boot. Here's the diary...

 

Thursday

Ryanair flight to Graz, the ancient capital of Styria (Steirmark) where we pick up our transport to drive to the wine town of Rust (about two hours away) on the shores of lake Neusiedl on the border with Hungary. The Neusiedl lake, the "Sea of the Viennese" is the only middle European steppe lake, where the shore is almost entirely planted with vines. This shallow lake plays an important role in creating the climate of the region, which in turn offers ideal conditions for the development of botrytis, or noble rot, which has made the sweet wines of the area to be considered amongst the finest in the world. Rust also houses the Austrian Wine Academy where its in-depth wine educational courses have a worldwide reputation.

 

After checking in at our hotel, the Sifkovits in Rust, our first port of call was to the cellars of Heidi Schrök, one of the traditional family wine producers in Rust. Heidi took over the management of the estate and the winemaking in 1983, continuing the tradition of producing wines from vines planted by her great aunts. A selection of wines for us to taste turned out as follows: (listing only those scoring 90 pts. and over)

 

Furmint 2006

This is the grape used to make the famous Hungarian Tokay over the other side of the lake, but this wine is bone dry, very aromatic and clean with nuances of apple and quince - light-bodied and elegant, but containing 13.5% alcohol.    92 pts.

 

Beerenauslese 2006 (50% Welschriesling, 50% Weissburgunder)

This has very light fruit - orangey, creamy, with shades of toffee and fudge. There's not a lot of depth or strength here (11.5% abv.), but the 139g. of residual sugar gives it restrained finesse.  91 pts.

 

Ruster Ausbruch 2002 (blend in equal parts of Grauburgunder, Sauvignon Blanc, Gelber Muskateller, Welschriesling and Weissburgunder)

Ausbruch is locally made to fit in between the Beerenauslese and Trockenbeerenauslese degrees of sweetness and the local climate is ideal for producing big botrytised wines and this is no exception. It has also spent 18 months in new French oak barriques and the result is a stunning marriage of glycerinous sweetness and firm acidity.    94 pts.

 

Off to dinner at the Mooslechners Bürgerhaus - undoubtedly one of the best restaurants in the area - see our full review in the restaurant section of the site.

 

Friday

We drive around the lake not without some confusion as to where the border with Hungary is, but we finally managed to drive in and out of Hungary to finish up at the cellars of Helmut Lang in the wine village of Illmitz. Ilmitz boasts of probably the biggest concentration of top sweet wine producers outside of Sauternes and Lang is one of the leaders. Looking like an older version of Johnny Dep, pony tail and all, Lang produces wines from eleven different varietals, both red and white, on his 13 ha. estate, all of them in varying degrees of sweetness as Illmitz is the location par excellence for noble rot. These are the wines we tasted in his cellar: (scoring 90pts. and over)

 

Sämling 88 (Scheurebe) Beerenauslese 2004

Thick and unctuous as well as being quite aromatic with a good "feel" of the botrytis.  92 pts.

 

Chardonnay Trockenbeerenauslese 2004

Slightly lemony and less flowery than the Sämling, but still quite unctuous.   91 pts.

 

Riesling Eiswein 2005

This really does bring out the nobility of the Riesling grape with good ripeness and acidity to balance the sweetness. Very clean, lingering finish.    94 pts.

 

Pinot Noir Eiswein 2005

There is less intensity here, but good fruit and acidity.       91 Pts.

 

Sämling 88 Trockenbeerenauslese 2002

This has intense ripeness and sweetness with a deep botrytis effect. Long finish.  95 pts.

 

We then went into the cellar to taste some of the as yet unbottled 2006 wines with the Chardonnay and Sämling 88 just taking preference over the Gewürztraminer which was showing less botrytis character.

 

 

On to Podershof for an extraordinary lunch at the Gasthof zur Dankbarkeit to sample Josef Lentsch's superb cooking and some of his wines.

 

We started off with some smoked charcuterie accompanied by Lentsch's Muscat Ottonel 2006, crisp and grapey. Then a little white mousse of cauliflower in a red and yellow pepper sauce garnished with rocket and dandelion. With this we had the "Cuvée Dankbarkeit" 2006 the "House" blend of Pinot Gris, Pinot Blanc and Chardonnay - lightly oaked and very clean. This was followed by some sander with a rocket risotto garnished with sun-dried tomatoes and a tomato sauce. The sander was exquisitely cooked although the accompanying Pinot Gris 2004 didn't have quite the aromacy we expected.

 

Next came a braised leg of veal with red wine served with polenta dumplings and fennel - simply cooked, but tasting of itself, far away from the too clever by half stuff that abounds in so-called top restaurants around the world. With this we had a really good Pinot Noir, dark and tannic, a bit too young to drink now, but should have an excellent future. At this stage, Josef Lentsch joined us at the table and hearing our remarks, went off and produced a Pinot Noir from the year 2000 for us to taste. This was very smooth and maturing well with good varietal flavours. He then trotted of to bring us a barrel sample of the 2005 Pinot Noir - this had lots of concentration (the yield was down by 30% that year) and once again looks to have a promising future.

 

Now he really got the bit between his teeth! A Welschriesling Auslese 2003 was produced - quite good acidity but not a lot of botrytis, so it wasn't so sweet. Certainly not a dessert wine. Then the Beerenauslese Pinot Gris 2003 AND 2004, both aged in 500 litre oak barrels, with the 2004 showing much more sweetness than the 2003. After that, a Welschriesling Trockenbeerenauslese 2004, a dark, thick cut of orange marmalade prominent on the palate, with orange zest on the nose - a wine of extraordinary finesse. The Welschriesling Trockebeerenauslese 2005, as it happened, bottled just that morning, displayed intense sweetness as did his final offering of the 2002 Welschriesling Trockenbeerenauslese. Phew! What an afternoon. Lucky I wasn't driving!

 

A short trip followed to the village of Gols, where we were met by four out of the ten young producers of the Select Gols consortium - Reinhard Bruckner, Siegfried Gsellmann, Georg Preisinger and Georg Schmelzer. These guys had got together to work as a marketing group for their wines for which more information can be found at the www.selectgols.at website. Apart from the usual single cru varietal wines from the village, they also each produce a "GOLS" wine, which has been created as an individual cuvée by each of the producers, with stylish variations. Thus, at the tasting organised for us (at a tasting table high in the middle of the vineyards), we had the chance to taste 14 wines not only made from individual varietals, but also the "GOLS" blends. Of the "GOLS" 2004 blends, the best of the bunch were from Georg Preissinger (60% Zweigelt, 22% Blaufränkisch, 18% St. Laurent) - soft and forward with spiciness and good acidity, 90 pts., Siegfried Gsellmann (60% Zweigelt, 25% St. Laurent 7.5% Blaufränkisch and 7.5% Pinot Noir) - soft and approachable and easy drinking, 89 pts. and Horst & Georg Schmelzer (60% Zweigelt, 40% Blaufränkisch) - again, softness with good acidity, with perhaps less upfront fruit than  Preissinger's, 89 pts. Undoubtedly, the best of the single varietals tasted was Reinhard Bruckner's Zweigelt Golser Zwickelacker 2004 - 18 months in wood and a nutty, toffee flavoured, powerful wine with a fair degree of complexity, 91 pts., followed by Horst & Georg Schmelzer's Blaufränkisch Exclusiv 2006, with big fruit and complexity, soft tannins, yet with plenty of underlying structure, 90 pts. I am sure that we will be hearing more of these young producers in the future.

 

Back to Rust for dinner at the Mooslechner's other place - the Rusterhof. Not anything like as good as the Bürgerhaus and certainly less value for money.

 

Saturday  

Off to Stetten, just north of Vienna to visit the estate of R & A Pfaffl in the "Weinviertel" literally the "Wine Quarter" in the suburbs of Vienna. From the three-quarters of a hectare of vines inherited from their parents in 1978, the Pfaffls have seen their empire grow by acquisitions to over 50 hectares this present day. They must be doing something right then! Here, Grüner Veltliner is king, but the Paffls do a more than passable job on Riesling, Pinot Blanc, Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay, Blauer Zweigelt, Pinot Noir, St. Laurent and Cabernet Sauvignon.

 

We tasted 18 wines before and during lunch (arranged for a small charge) at the winery. The best of the bunch (score over 90 points) were as follows:

 

Hundsleiten Vineyard Grüner Veltliner 2006

30 year old vines gives this depth and richness. Aromatic, yet with a streak of minerality which gives it freshness and structure. Needs more time but will develop well.    90 pts.

 

Goldjoch Vineyard Grüner Veltliner 2006

Very unctuous with great depth and spiciness, rounded, complex and aromatic.  93 pts.

 

 

Riesling "Am Berg" 2006

Off dry, typical Riesling, very rich, but with some minerality. Hints of citrus and an excellent balance between fruit and acidity.   91 pts.

 

Rossern Vineyard Chardonnay 2004

Specially selected Chardonnay from this vineyard harvested and fermented separately in barriques for up to 24 months. Very buttery and complex - almost Californian style.    95 pts.

 

 

Altenberg Vineyard St. Laurent 2004

Very elegant with good structure and length. Restrained fruit.     90 pts.

 

Pinot Noir 2004

Even more elegant, smooth with good length on the finish and true varietal flavours.  91 pts.

 

Blauer Zweigelt 2006

Black cherry fruit here with reasonable complexity and length.     90 pts.

 

Heidrom 2003

This is the flagship wine of the Pfaffls. 40% Merlot, 30% Cabernet Sauvignon and 30% Zweigelt. Very smooth and elegant, but still showing a little excess of wood, which should integrate well in time. Good length on the palate.           92 pts.     

 

As we were so near to Vienna we took the opportunity to make a quick afternoon visit. Such a fascinating, cultured city. We had little more time than to visit the Figarohaus - the house where Mozart lived from 1784 to 1787, which has now been turned into a Mozart museum with many interesting artefacts concerning his life and work. The Stephansdom (St. Stephan's Cathedral) is also an imposing edifice with marvellous paintings and statues. Vienna, of course, is famous for it's cafés, particularly the one in the Hotel Sacher - famous for its Sachertorte, but it's sad to see another venerable institution has now become a Starbucks (YUK!)

 

Back to Rust for a second dinner at the Bürgerhaus - more of that in the restaurant section.

 

Sunday

We leave Rust for Southern Styria, on the border with Slovenia, to visit the estate of Alois and Ulrike Gross. Some of you may be familiar with the wines from this estate, as their 2002 Gewürztraminer Trockenbeerenauslese, was considered one of the best wines at our recent Austrian wine dinner at Pelham Street. They are located at Ratsch - a village that literally overlooks the Slovenian border - indeed, many of the winemakers in the area are buying up vineyards across the border, but their production comes from family holdings in the vicinity of their cellars, producing wines that are distinctive products of their terroir.

 

There is a minimum of intervention in the winemaking - with the use of carbon dioxide in the pressing to minimise the use of sulphur. Press wine is generally run off by gravity, but sometimes the Muskateller and the Traminer, the juice is pumped into stainless steel tanks to keep skin contact for a further 12 hours. Here are some brief notes on the best of the bunch (90 pts. and over)

 

Pinot Gris Rothüttel 2006

There are good aromatic flavours here and typical spiciness of the Pinot Gris. Plenty, but not overpowering acidity, too which makes it a good food wine.     90 pts.

 

Sauvignon Blanc Kittenberg 2006

Cut grass on the nose and a grassy style on the palate. Subtle with good finesse and fair complexity    91 pts.

 

Sauvignon Blanc Sülz 2006

Even more grassy than the Kittenberg and very aromatic. Nice and mineral, too.  

92 pts.

 

Sauvignon Blanc Nüßberg 2005

Less grassiness and more creaminess here. It's big and complex with a long finish.

 90 pts.

 

 

Sauvignon Blanc Nüßberg 2006 (Tank sample)

This is from the flagship vineyard of the holding which is why it is bottled later than the other Sauvignons. There is a lot more body and balance than the 2005 and augers well for the future.  (92 pts.)

 

Sauvignon Blanc Privat 2003

A late-picked wine with leafy, minty, nettley flavours. Ripe and unctuous, this has been matured in old barriques for around 12 months. It is only made in those years where conditions are favourable for producing this rich style of wine.         93 pts.

 

Sauvignon Blanc Privat 2006 (Cask Sample)

2006 is going to be one of the best vintages in recent years. Sweeter than the 2003, with explosive, youthful flavours of nettle and mint.        (94 pts.)

 

Sauvignon Blanc Nüßberg 2000

The ageing capacity of this wine is amply demonstrated. If anything, flavours are more intense with maturity - nettley, rounded and smooth.        94 pts.

 

Gewürztraminer Nüßberg 2003

Very clean and pure, perfumed and spicy with a lingering finish.     92 pts.

 

 

 

 

After this tasting we drove off to the nearby village of Sernau for a Buschenschank lunch and wine sampling at Weingut-Söll, one of a number of small local wine producers who run a Buschenschank or Heuriger, as they are more commonly known. A Heuriger differs from a tavern inasmuch as only its own wine can be served, and it is legally limited to serving a selection of foods similar to that of the Italian tavola fredda bar. Hot dishes are limited in number and all are usually home-cooked on the premises. There is no pretension of competing gastronomically with more up market establishments and the lunch we had there was wholesome and basic local fare, as were the wines. The property is situated on a hill and enjoying our lunch overlooking bucolic views of the countryside was a therapeutic experience. A Heuriger can only be open a certain amount of time in the year and open Heurigen are distinguished by a couple of conifer or fur twigs, or Buschen, hung above the entrance door, to indicate that they are available to welcome guests.

 

Off in the afternoon to Western Styria to meet one of the "kings" of Schilcher wine, Franz Strohmeier. Schilcher is that mouth-puckering rosé wine so loved by the Austrians - incredibly acidic and with a flavour of strawberries and best drunk relatively young as an accompaniment to those cold meats and charcuteries which the area is also famous for. It's made from a grape only found locally, called Blauer Wildbacher which is a pretty wild grape since the local name for it is Rabiatperle (Rabid Pearl)!

 

Determined to avoid all happenings which might result in turning us into werewolves, (after all, Transylvania is just down the road), we approached the tasting with some trepidation. Of course, the rosé Schilchers were decidedly not my cup of tea (nor even blood), but one could see that they were well made, clean and crisp. Unfortunately none of them reached the 90 point score for me to describe them in more detail except his sparkling Extra Brut 2000 which was indeed, very brut (and not the Henry Cooper kind either), but it was extremely well-balanced with some nice berry fruit beneath the acidity. Generally speaking, the sparkling versions tended to temper the biting acidity that you found in the still wines.

 

But in some way the revelation was in the three full-bloodied reds (oops! - there I go again!) that we tasted. Here, the biting acidity almost disappeared and the wines possessed rounded fruit - even a little residual sweetness on the palate to make these ideal accompaniments to red meat and especially Game. Although only one of these wines scored over 90, I think the tasting notes on all three merit your attention.

 

Lestoa Rot 2003

A very cuddly wine - thick, dark - a little bit spicy with reasonable length but not a great deal of complexity. Rather an exotic combination of elderberry and anis on the palate but little on the nose. 88 pts.

 

Schilcher "A Siassa" 2002

This had a strong sense and taste of prune - in fact it was almost like drinking wine-based Armagnac! Again, little in the way of complexity, but very interesting.     87 pts.

 

Schilcher "Ganz a Siassa" 2005

This is Strohmeir's top cuvée and it shows. Bags of finesse and very smooth with a mellow taste of quince, and damson with a good, clean finish.        92 pts.

 

A leisurely drive back to Gamlitz, the wine capital of Southern Styria where we sojourned at the appropriately-named Weinlandhof for a good and very reasonably priced hotel for our dinner and overnight stay. The dinner was good, wholesome food, well prepared and cooked. We had red snapper Calf's sweetbreads and lamb as main courses at very reasonable prices. For wine we drank a Sauvignon Blanc from one of the leading Gamlitz producerfs, Walter Skoff and the red, called "Steinbach" was a blend of Zweigelt and St Laurent 2005 vintage. Both were extremely good and proof of the overall high standard of Styrian wines. A good base for exploring the wineries of Southern Styria. Go to their web site on www.weinlandhof.at but you will need to speak or understand German.

 

Monday

After a lie-in, a visit to Graz, the capital of Styria, with a look around the historic city centre before making our way to the airport and back to London.

 

All in all, a fascinating trip. Exploring these two small wine corners of Austria had a different feel to many of the wine trips we had been on. The incredible hospitality of the wine producers was only matched by the incredible weather which we had during our stay! Two meals in a really top class restaurant and good food elsewhere, an enormous variety of different wines, from the excruciatingly acidic to the voluptuously sweet, made this one of the most interesting corners of the wine world we have ever visited. We barely scratched the surface on our trip - there is so much more to see and learn. We'll be back!