Wine Focus for November: Austria from Alzinger to Zweigelt

[David M. Bueker]

This month in Wine Focus we will be exploring the wines of Austria. Normally when people think of Austria, it is Gruner Veltliner and Riesling that spring to mind, but here’s more to Austrian wine than just those 2 noble grapes.
Red wines have been surging in Austria for quite a while, and there are now offerings that go from the bargain/QPR level all the way to top tier wines that compete with the best reds from anywhere. Grapes such as Zweigelt and St. Laurent (aka Sankt Laurent) share space with Blaufrankisch & Pinot Noir. It’s sometimes tough to find the wines, as the Austrians consume a huge percentage of the red wine production.
On the white wine front there’s also a wide range of grapes to explore, with Sauvignon Blanc and Muskateller (Muscat) in the more commonly seen category, with Neuberger taking the role of oddball grape that most folks have never heard about. There are also some lovely Pinot Blanc wines from Austria.
On vintages, this is a great time explore Austria, as the 2013 wines are hitting the market, and it’s a fabulous vintage. 2012 is good as well, though riper and richer than the classical and poised 2013 wines.

So let’s explore Austria for a month. Travel the wine trails of Styria and Burgenland. Wander through Wagram and the Wachau. Don’t forget the Kremstal and Kamptal. It’s a wide world of its own in Austria. There’s no shortage of diversity, so there is something for pretty much everyone’s palate and wallet.

[Robin Garr]

Thanks for posting, David. I like starting it the day before, too, so we can overlap going out of the prior month with going into the new one.

I have really enjoyed the few Austrian Zweigents that I've tried, and hope to be able to find a few this month. I'll start locally, then, maybe, "Hello, Chambers Street?"

Weygandt in DC also has some Austrian wines

Zilch on the shelves round here, except at an exorbitant price from Lavinia in Paris. I was about to place a mail order from one of those enterprising internationally orientated internet sites in Germany or Spain when one of my Liebherrs broke down. I already have about 6 cases of locally purchased wines on the floor under desks and tables and when I empty the broken fridge for repair there will be another 250 bottles lying around loose, so my order for non-French wines will have to wait .

Consulting my CT inventory, I see that I have just two bottles of Austrian wines on hand, a Hirtzberger Riesling Smaragd (in the broken down fridge) and a Welchriesling Eiswein .

[David M. Bueker]

What vintage is the Hirtzberger? It might be in a good palce, and reduce your inventory in the broken unit!

What vintage is the Hirtzberger? It might be in a good palce, and reduce your inventory in the broken unit!

2006 Singerriedel. Looking into the archive I discover that I already liked it a lot about 5 years ago but thought it would still go a lot further. Maybe now is the moment if the chef produces something special worthy of it ?

[David M. Bueker]

I am going to be opening some 2006s this month myself. It's not a vintage I have earmarked for long aging.

After an Italian tasting downtown on the weekend, popped into the wine bar next door. They were pouring the 2010 Julius Klein Rotwein Trocken St. Laurent.

Made from the St. Laurent grape, I found it to be a highly aromatic and dark-skinned varietal. Ruby red in colour, this dry yet fruity wine had solid structure and clear dark fruit on the palate. Velvety tannins with a fruity aroma and firmly structured. I think it will be excellent with spicy dishes, game, hearty meat, and cheese.

I have a Riesling and I think a Blauburgunder (Pinot Noir) lined up. If I get up to Raleigh in the next few weeks I have a Gruner Veltliner to pick up.

[David M. Bueker]

2005 F.X. Pichler Riesling Smaragd Dürnsteiner Kellerberg - Austria, Niederösterreich, Wachau (11/5/2014)
I last had this about 5 years ago, and time has really changed the wine. It's more burnished, less bright, and while ultimately showing interesting, evolved character, it is not as engaging a drink as it was in its youth. Gone is the electricity, to be replaced by serenity. It's still very good to drink, but just not what I was looking for from this wine. Should have drunk it up when I had the chance.

[Robin Garr]

Weingut Markus Huber 2011 Niederösterreich Zweigelt ($15.99)

Zweigelt is a 20th century cross between the Austrian Sankt Laurent grape and Blaufränkisch. Dark garnet with a clear edge. Good, fresh red-fruit aromas, tart cherry and cranberry, are appealing but restrained, elegant but no fruit bomb. On the palate it's lean and crisp, light but delicious fruit and fragrant white pepper, with an intriguing back note of stony minerality. It's lean but not austere, showing good refined, elegant fruit at 13.2% alcohol. U.S. importer: Circo Vino, Evanston, Ill. (Nov. 5, 2014)

FOOD MATCH: Its refined style would suggest lighter red-wine meat pairings such as the obvious Austrian match, Wiener schnitzel, or other Viennese or Milanese-style preparations. Good cheese is a natural - it was memorable with thin slices shaved from a block of Parmigiano-Reggiano - and it would be fine with lightly spicy Asian dishes such as our choice, Red-lentil dal with collards.

WHEN TO DRINK: Good balance and fruit and a sturdy metal screw cap should protect it for a few years, but I like its fresh fruit and would probably favor drinking it up over the next year or two.

VALUE: My local retail price, $16, matches the U.S. median reported at Wine-Searcher.com. I'm told the wholesaler in our region intends to kick it up a buck or two, which might make me cranky, but I'd probably pay up to the upper teens for this red without too much complaint.

WEB LINK:
For a good English-language fact sheet on this wine, click here for information from the producer.
http://www.weingut-huber.at/show_content2.php?s2id=167

FIND THIS WINE ONLINE:
Check prices and find vendors for Weingut Markus Huber Niederösterreich Zweigelt on Wine-Searcher.com.
http://www.wine-searcher.com/find/Marku ... g_site=WLP

2013 Fred Loimer Lenz Riesling Niederosterreich, Austria. Imported by Winebow, Inc. Screwcap. 12% abv. Acidic, pungent, aromatic. Some lemon-lime notes, also something slightly green or herbal such as celery leaves. I like this. Nicely balanced. I would give it in the range of 89-91 points. (Next up a Pinot Noir from Austria.)

2013 Paul D. (Paul Direder), Gruner Veltliner ; $12.99 (Whole Foods), Alcohol level: 12.5%. This one comes in 1 liter bottles. Made of 100% Gruner Veltliner. Bright, this is a fresh Austrian G.V. and it is made in a floral style. It has crisp acidity, yet it is dry and impressively ripe with vibrant lime zest flavors and a lovely mouth feel.

We matched it with broiled Bratwurst links in rolls with onions in olive oil and mustard; and eggplant salad.

[David M. Bueker]

There is so much good value, easy drinking GV. It makes me wonder why anyone would buy Sauvignon Blanc or inexpensive Chardonnay.

There is so much good value, easy drinking GV. It makes me wonder why anyone would buy Sauvignon Blanc or inexpensive Chardonnay.

Indeed. It's often what I go for on restaurant lists with casual groups. Much more so than Sauvignon Blanc or Chardonnay (at least when I have control).

2011 Domane Wachau Terrassen Federspiel Gruner Veltliner: Bought recently at The Party Source, in Newport Ky. just for this months focus. Very herbal with just a touch of pear-like fruit and great acidity. I have not opened a Gruner in many years and now I see why. It too much resembles a Sauvignon Blanc. Give me a slatey German Riesling/big tropical Chardonnay/oily dry floral-fruity Alsatian Gewurztraminer and I will be perfectly happy. I did enjoy this wine with grilled chicken thighs however.

WTN: 2013 Rabl Gruner Veltiner Spiegel, Kamptal.

Purchased for this Focus, $20 Cdn, 12.5% alc, SC. Quite a well-known producer but not really up with the big names it would appear? I have to say right off the bat that over 2 nights, I seem to have drunk two seperate GVs .

Nose aromatics very attractive, apple, pear, minerality. Not that tropical but gushing aroma.
The initial entry had some muted flavors and an indistinct mid-palate. Sure did not match the nose. "So-so acidity here..not the most complex wine" from across the table. Also the salt and pepper wings did not help!
However gotta say that with air there was some nice developement here with more citrus/grapefruit, apple, but could not find much pepper here. Things really picked up on day 2 with a firmer mineral finish that had good length. I feel many would not be impressed with this GV initially but given time, quite a transformation in the glass.

Tasted during a brief visit to my local wine bar. 2010 Rudi Pichler Grüner Veltliner Smaragd Wösendorfer Hochrain (Austria, Niederösterreich, Wachau) Color was a medium yellow with a green tinge. Expressive aroma here....apple, white pepper and vanilla. This is really nice and complex with peach, pear, pepper. Great mid-palate and nice acidity.

2006 MEINKLANG PINOT NOIR/BLAUBURGUNDER BURGENLAND, AUSTRIA (from organic grapes) 13.5% abv. Label recommends drinking 0-4 years from bottling so this may be over-the-hill. I do think it would have tasted fresher if opened several years ago but I still enjoyed it on the second evening after opening it. It seemed to pick up some earthy tones while as a younger wine it may have presented with more fruity nuances. I have one more bottle remaining to open before the end of the year.

I plan to pick up a bottle of Gruner Veltliner today that a shop in Raleigh is holding for me and will try to open it before Thanksgiving.

Many Sauvignon Blancs as good as GVs are produced in the Steiermark region of Austria. Excellent Gelber Muskatellers too. You just don't see them in the US.

2013 Paul D. (Paul Direder), Zweigelt; $12.99 per liter (Whole Foods), Alcohol level: 12.5%. A lovely wine giving raspberry hints on the nose and upfront. More fruit and a great mouth feel in the middle, and a nice finish for a medium bodied wine. We matched it with broiled zucchini, potato cakes, and spinach. A very nice dinner.

[Robin Garr]

The liter bottle and beer-style "crown" cap suggests that this modest Austrian red isn't meant for deep contemplation, but it was mighty fine, crisp and dry and showing plenty of interesting, food-friendly flavor. I'd definitely buy more.

Berger 2012 Niederösterreich Zweigelt ($16.99/1 liter)

Clear garnet, dark at the center, transparent at the edge. Fresh, light cherries and red berries with whiffs of white pepper and clay on the nose and palate. Bright and tart flavor, red fruit and structural acidity, with standard 13% alcohol and a firm edge of tannins adding texture. Interesting, good table wine. U.S. importer: Michael Skurnik Wines, Syosset, N.Y.; A Terry Theise Estate Selection. (Nov. 25, 2014)

It went mighty well with a dinner of lacinato kale sauteed with tomato, onions and garlic and Italian-style "sausage" rounds over penne pasta.

FIND IT ON WINE-SEARCHER.COM
http://www.wine-searcher.com/find/Berge ... g_site=WLP

2012 Glatzer Blaufrankish, Carnuntum Very aromatic, with lots of dark brambly fruit and intensely herbal. There is a bit of a medicinal quality to it also - reminds me of Syrah without the black pepper spice. Medium bodied and lively with bright acidity, this went well with a hearty broccoli mushroom casserole. A good value at $15.99 at our local Whole Foods.

2013 Rainer Wess Wachauer Gruner Veltliner. Labeled as 12.5% alcohol by volume. Very tart and yet very inviting. Attractive medium straw color with clarity. It has me thinking both simple, uncomplicated, yet elegant, showing a mineral purity. I don't find peas or pears--closer perhaps to gooseberry fruit. I've had some nice GV in the past and some that really didn't make much of an impression on me. This one I liked initially at the popup Fall Harvest Dinner in Raleigh and again when I took a bottle home. At under $20 a bottle, this represents good QPR IMO. However, I don't know if it is typical for GV or not.