We are way excited to be rolling out some new selections from one of our favoritest countries ever, Austria! With the antifreeze scandal well behind us, Austria has emerged as one of the leading producers of highly crafted ultra-stylish (in a good way) wines. While the Gruner Veltliner phenomenon is still in full swing with no sign of waning enthusiasm, we thought it was time to look into what else is going on here.
A few weeks ago we were visited by a winemaker from the Burgenland region, Jost Hopler. A very engaging and mannered gentleman, Mr. Hopler brought to us some incredibly unique wines. He produces no Gruner, which, even in regions not suited to it is widely planted in a pinot noir-esque clamor to catch in on the fad. Burgenland is slightly warmer than the Neiderosterriech (North Austria) area responsible for the bulk of visible Austrian wines. The mood here seems in a way more traditional, with an emphasis on native red varietals, which in addition to having fun sounding names, make wines which have almost no point of comparison to wines made anywhere else. The Hopler 2005 Zweigelt particularly impressed us. Always interesting but not always inviting, zweigelt is a wine with a pronounced wild, gamy streak. While clearly not a Cab, or a pinot, or anything else, the Hopler Zweigelt possesses larger doses of finesse and refinement than though previously possible. A spicy red fruit driven wine with a ringing, clean acid finish is a revelation.
Austrian Pinot? That's usually the (quite reasonable) response we get when bringing up the newly released 2006 Meinklang Pinot Noir. Also hailing from the South Side, this Burgenland Red is made by a completely charming young couple, the Michlits. Justly proud of their fully self sustaining Biodynamic (see last months entry) farm/estate, the Michlits produce a range of ridiculously well made ( and ridiculously affordable) wines from native varietals as well as a few imports. Really pinot noir makes as much since here as anywhere, and in fact most of the local grapes, zweigelt, St. Laurent etc. have pinot somewhere in their lineage. A vibrant transparent cherry red gives clues to the flavors found here. A simple, well defined purity of fruit is the style here, and this wine, while clearly not a Burgundy, easily eclipses in quality some of the uninspired village level wines which move simply because their bottles bear the "B" word.
Lastly, the season is upon us in which thoughts turn slowly to roads covered with eis. One of the best ways to make it through is with the occasional sip of, what else, Eiswein! Austria is home to late-harvest guru Alois Kracher; and houseRed is home to a handful of bottles of Alois' mindblowing 2005 Kracher Eiswein Cuvee. A blend of nearly every white varietal you can think of, this is an eiswein with lots more than just super high acidity and even higher sugar. But that sounds delicious you say? You're right! So just imagine if you add to the formula endless amounts of rich fruit and nut elements and a shimmering lightness of texture. You won't want Winter to end. At least not before the Kracher runs out...
