An unexpected, wonderfully elegant and complex wine from Austria.
This wine is made of local Austrian varietals, predominantly Gruner and Roter Veltliner, a little Pinot Blanc and a small addition of Gruner Sylvaner … are grown together in the same vineyard, harvested on the same day and co-fermented (natural yeast) in stainless steel (a bush blend per say) Selection is rigorous, followed by super gentle pressing of the grapes which are finished on fine lees for a few months before transfer to old Acacia barrels for a further short stay before bottling.
A goregous inviting nose of dry honey, warm butter and ripe gooseberries gets things off to a flying start. It’s a 'Gemischter Satz' so it’s about place at least as much as it is about fruit, and this particular wines strikes us as being about shape, texture and movement as much as it is about flavour too. The opening is soft and moreish then gives way to a lovely gentle spiciness in the middle whilst a delicious, almost urgent acidity combines with an appetising touch of bitterness at the finish. Lots to say about this wine...
The Details:
Grape: Grune Veltliner, Pinot Blanc, Gruner Sylvaner
Country: Austria
Region: Niederosterreich
Abv: 13%
Style: Elegant, crisp, green fruit, honeyed, nutty
The Producer:
Before an abrupt change of career 20 years ago, Barbara Ohlzelt used to work in TV, Drama and Media. In this earlier life she met and became friends with Daniel Glattauer. Daniel is famous in Austria for having written a best-selling novel called ‘Gut Gegen Nordwind’ , an email-based love story, which has been translated into 26 different languages … which then became a play … which became a critically acclaimed film … which was translated into English as ‘The Space Between The Lines’. Daniel has a small vineyard in neighbouring Wagram planted with Gruner Veltliner, Roter Veltliner, Pinot Blanc and Gruner Silvaner. It is from these grapes (predominantly the first two) that Barbara makes this beautiful, loosely Burgundian style of Gemischter Satz. It's a vineyard in the Kamptal region, but vecause it does not conform to the traditional Kamptal styles it has to be labelled as Niederosterreich.
