Indholdsfortegnelse for March 2017 i Decanter

Decanter|March 2017

Sweet

SPONSORED GUIDE Sweet Nittnaus, Chardonnay Trockenbeerenauslese, Burgenland 91 N/A UK www.nittnaus.net Cask sample. Although better known for his powerful red wines, Hans Nittnaus also produces fine sweet wines. This has 290g of residual sugar, so it is unsurprisingly very sweet, but also silky and voluptuous, with fine acidity to lift the finish, which is peppery and lively. Drink 2018-2032 Alc 10.2% Schröck, Ruster Ausbruch, Burgenland 90 £39.60 (37.5cl; 2009) Alpine Wines Cask sample. Welschriesling and Sauvignon Blanc are the main components of this traditional sweet wine from Rust. Heady Seville orange aromas dominate the nose, while the palate is rich, broad and creamy, with impressive weight of fruit. The finish is enlivened by barley sugar flavours, and good acidity and zip. Drink 2019-2032 Alc 11% Kracher, Beerenauslese Cuvée, Burgenland 89…

1 min

Decanter|March 2017

Wiener Gemischter Satz DAC

SPONSORED GUIDE Wiener Gemischter Satz DAC Photograph: Herbert Lehmann/Cephas In an era obsessed with grape varieties, it’s worth noting an Austrian speciality that adopts a very different mindset, and is intrinsically rooted in the culture, geography and history of its capital Vienna. Not so long ago Gemischter Satz was at risk of declining into cheap, characterless refreshment for the city’s heuriger wine taverns, but in 2013 this unique style was awarded DAC status. This enshrined Wiener Gemischter Satz as the product of a vineyard within Vienna’s city limits, and moreover a vineyard planted with no fewer than three different grape varieties. This ‘field blend’ system has now almost disappeared from modern viticulture, with the only other obvious example being in Portugal’s Douro. ‘One variety is an instrument – Gemischter Satz…

1 min

Decanter|March 2017

Vienna’s wine scene

Vienna’s wine scene From traditional Heurige to cutting-edge wine bars, Vienna holds plenty of appeal for wine lovers. Luzia Schrampf recommends the best to visit Photographs: Gerhard Wasserbauer; Philipp Horak; Konstantin Filippou A beautiful view of vineyards, with the city of Vienna in the background – this is the the typical setting for one of the city’s traditional wine bars, or Heurige. They might have an idyllic garden with trellised vines, or a beautiful courtyard blooming with flowers, but what all of these Heurige offer is somewhere to relax, to spend a sunny afternoon with old friends or even make new friends with the strangers who will share your table if it’s busy. They are the ideal place to enjoy a glass of Austrian wine. In years gone by, a…

5 min

Decanter|March 2017

Welcome

SPONSORED GUIDE Welcome Austria – it’s personal… It’s exactly 20 years since I first reported on Austrian wine for Decanter. I’ve been an unabashed fan and regular drinker ever since. Why? Because Austria has always ticked so many of my wine buying boxes. I like the fact that it is largely a country of small growers who hand-craft their wines with passion and precision. Above all, though, these are distinctive, terroir-infused wines. And they show great individuality in other ways too. As is becoming increasingly well understood, Austria has its own unique set of indigenous grape varieties, which continue to grow in stature and repute on the international stage. The best-known are Grüner Veltliner, Blaufränkisch, Zweigelt and St Laurent. And for those of you who are even more adventurous, then…

Fine wine price watch Below are the most recent merchant case prices (equivalent 12 x 750ml bottles) for wines that are actively traded among a global network of merchants on Liv-ex, the fine wine market. Liv-ex records transactions between its merchant members in the UK, US, Asia and Europe. All prices are in GBP and exclude sales tax. The numbers in red indicate those prices which have changed since last month. The Liv-ex Fine Wine 100 Index represents the price movement of 100 of the most sought-after fine wines for which there is a strong secondary market and is calculated monthly. The majority of the index consists of Bordeaux wines – a reflection of the overall market – although wines from Burgundy, the Rhône, Champagne and Italy are also…

1 min

Decanter|March 2017

Whites beyond Grüner Veltliner

Whites beyond Grüner Veltliner From characterful native varieties to distinctive takes on international grapes, the white wines of Austria offer unexpected appeal, says Gabriel Stone Can there be a country whose average wine quality is so reliably high as Austria? This nation of family estates, well managed co-operatives and monastic landlords has largely left the high-volume game to others, focusing its efforts on building a reputation for excellence and consistency. In the Grüner Veltliner grape, Austria found an eloquent ambassador for this message, but producers are now keen to show the world some of the 21 other white varieties in their tool box, several of which are capable of demonstrating just as much, if not more, virtuosity than their de facto flagship. One grape that has the scale and pedigree…

6 min

Decanter|March 2017

Going green

SPONSORED GUIDE Going green Austria’s winemakers are actively tackling environmental issues in a number of ways. Gabriel Stone reports on their efforts and explains the effect the changes are having on their wines Photograph: Andreas Hofer Home to pristine mountain pastures, the gliding blue Danube and biodynamic guru Rudolf Steiner: it makes sense that Austria should be one of the world’s more ecologically aware countries. However, being ‘green’ can take many different guises, some more measurable than others, with varying impacts on the environment, the local community – and, of course, the bottom line. Then there’s the tantalisingly intangible question of just what effect, if any, this worthy work has on quality inside the bottle. Most winemakers who have adopted environmentally friendly practices will say that they find a discernible…

7 min

Decanter|March 2017

Austrian appeal

SPONSORED GUIDE Austrian appeal There’s currently a real buzz around Austria’s wine scene. Experts tell Natasha Hughes MW why wine lovers should be excited For a long time, Austrian wine meant only one thing: Grüner Veltliner. While it’s certainly true that Grüner can be great, Austria certainly repays further exploration. Its diverse range of grapes, nuances in terroir and a plethora of small, family-owned wineries all add up to a surprising amount of variety for such a small country. Here, leading sommeliers and merchants in the UK explain its appeal. Lance Foyster MW Clark Foyster Wines ‘When we first started selling Austrian wines Riesling dominated the market, but it was later eclipsed by Grüner, which is a shame because Austrian Riesling is fantastic. It distinctly shows the grape’s varietal characters,…

Beyond Grüner: top Austrian whites to try Ludwig Neumayer, Der Wein vom Stein, Riesling Reserve, Traisental, Niederösterriech 2015 95 £20 Savage Selection A model of cool, stony precision. Absolutely no fat here, but an intensity that gives a sense of richness and propels this wine forward with an invigorating energy bubbling under a pure, controlled surface. There’ll be plenty more to come as this wine develops with age. Drink 2017-2035 Alcohol 13% Wieninger, Wiener Gemischter Satz, Ried Rosengartl, Wien 2015 94 £32.99 Liberty Wines Elegantly understated complexity, with a cool, mineral framework and racy acidity giving shape to a dancing array of spice, blossom and honeysuckle that will become more pronounced with age. Drink 2017-2026 Alc 14.5% Prieler, Pinot Blanc, Leithaberg, Burgenland 2015 93 £23 Clark Foyster A very engaging…

2 min

Decanter|March 2017

Natural wine

SPONSORED GUIDE Natural wine Closely aligned in spirit to the green movement, through its embrace of minimal intervention and low-sulphur ethos, is the phenomenon of natural wine that has burst onto the scene in the last decade. Austrian winemakers are among the most enthusiastic practitioners of these ‘orange’ wine styles, with many of the most traditionally minded producers adding something outlandish to their portfolio in recent years. At Feiler-Artinger in Rust, the charisma brought by extended skin contact has proved a benefit for Welschriesling, which previously only piqued critical acclaim in its incarnation as the deliciously sweet Ruster Ausbruch. ‘It’s the complexity in the mouth, the texture that makes it interesting,’ says winemaker Kurt Feiler. He notes its appeal for a new, younger demographic: ‘They have no idea of old…

1 min

Decanter|March 2017

Austria’s native reds: a tasting

SPONSORED GUIDE Austria’s native reds: a tasting Introduced by Stephen Brook ‘The indigenous varieties are perfectly adapted to Austria’s terroirs and microclimates’ Whites make the running in Austria, with its panoply of glorious Grüner (and Roter) Veltliners, Rieslings, Pinot Blancs, and handful of rare indigenous varieties. But the reds now need to be taken seriously too. Twenty years ago, growers persuaded themselves that French varieties were intrinsically superior to Austrian, and that you could never use too much new oak. It wasn’t too long before most of those growers realised that French varieties rarely succeeded in Austria’s more continental climate. Cabernet barely ripens, Syrah and Pinot Noir are variable, although Merlot can deliver good results, especially in blends. But the indigenous varieties are perfectly adapted to Austria’s terroirs and microclimates.…

Hammer highlights • Acker Merrall, Hong Kong, 10 December: six magnums of Domaine de la Romanée-Conti (DRC) Assortment 2003 sold for HK$444,600 (high estimate: HK$480,000); six bottles of DRC, La Tâche 1999 sold for HK$271,700 (high e: HK$240,000); 24 magnums of Superlot & Vertical, Penfolds’ Grange 1979-2002 sold for HK$247,000 (high e: HK$280,000); 12 bottles of Haut-Brion 1989 sold for HK$167,960 (high e: HK$144,000); 12 bottles of Lafite Rothschild 2000 sold for HK$158,080 (high e: HK$128,000); 12 bottles of Mouton Rothschild 2000 sold for HK$158,080 (high e: HK$144,000); 12 bottles of Petrus 1994 sold for HK$148,200 (high e: HK$144,000). • Sotheby’s, London, 14 December: Eight magnums of Carré d’As 2000 sold for £16,450 (high e: £20,000); 10 bottles of Lafite 1982 sold for £15,863 (high e: £16,000); 12 bottles of…

1 min