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Schildknecht Does Blaufränkisch, Palace Esterhazy, 13 June, 2009

After completing lunch at Restaurant Henrici, we were shooed across the plaza to the Palace Esterhazy for the afternoon seminar. The Schloß was constructed in the middle 1700s and Franz Josef Haydn served as music director there for about 30 years. Needless to say, the city is nuts about Haydn, particularly in 2009, the 200th anniversary of his death.

Over and above being a wine writer (The Wine Advocate, World of Fine Wine, various German and Austrian publications) and a former wine importer, salesman, and distributor, David Schildknecht is an evangelist for wine. His curiosity is insatiable, and he uses his intellect to turn people onto wines, grape varieties, and regions that they should know about. The Austrian Wine Summit tour coincided with David's tasting trip to Austria so the OEWM availed themselves of the opportunity and enticed him into conducting a seminar featuring an overview of Blaufränkisch.

(David Schildknecht)

Schildknecht's view is that Blaufränkisch is similar to Pinot Noir in its ability to reflect terroir. He also believes that it also illustrates the effect of elevation on the grapevine (although this might be considered an aspect of terroir)(literally and figuratively). HE selected 18 wines to assay in flights of 2-3, each illustrating different facets of the Blaufränkisch experience. A few of my highlights included:

1999 Prieler Goldberg  Grown in mica schist that's similar to the soil in the Wachau, this older wine was totally integrated but was in no danger of falling apart any time soon. This wine was shown alongside the 2006 Prieler Goldberg. This younger wine was exceedingly tight and fuesil, reminding me more of a Roussillon red than anything I've tasted from Austria. It was intensely complex, but just wasn't showing much more than potential this particular afternoon. 

Two wines from Moric were tasted, the 2002 Lutzmannsburg Alte Reben alongside the 2002 Neckenmarkt Alte Reben. Winemaker Roland Velich is off the charts with his approach to winemaking, and it was great to taste these two wines with a little age on them. I preferred the Lutzmannsburg this time around, but I believe that the Neckenmarkt still has some distance to cover before reaching its ultimate maturity. 

Gernot Heinrich's 2007 Alter Berg was delicious, showing lots of power and focus (youth can do that to a wine sometimes!) and shared with the 2006 Umathum Kirschgarten an ability to be full and stylish without being over the top. Joiser Kirschgarten is an interesting vineyard site: records date it back to the 1200s but it had fallen into disrepair until Josef Umathum purchased the land in 2000. He rebuilt the stone terraces and replanted to Blaufränkisch and Pinot Noir and the wines he's produced thus far have been impressive. (Umathum's Kirschgarten Vineyard)

I enjoyed the 2006 Altenberg from Paul Achs but that's to be expected - I'm a huge fan of Paul and his winemaking. (Paul Achs lecturing on soil variations in the general vicinity of Altenberg)

The 2006 Altenberg is very hightoned right now, with plums, cassis and blackberries riding atop some eye-opening acidity. The flavors were persistent but not aggressive, resulting in a very complete (but young) wine. It's not as flamboyant as say, the Moric wines, but as is the case with the Heinrich and Umathum Blaufränkisches, it's a wine worth cellaring so as to be able to enjoy it when it does reach some semblance of maturity.

In general, this was one of the most educational, instructive, and inspiring tastings I've ever attended. The wines were ideal in their ability to compare and contrast the impact of the different conditions they were grown and produced under and I came away from it with the same sort of missionary zeal that Schildknecht has for the variety.

Sat, 13 June, 2009, Restaurant Henrici, Eisenstadt, Burgenland, Austria

Having had our fill of ham, schnapps, vinegar, roasted pumpkin seed oil, etc, we got back on the bus albeit after one last photo (there are always lots of group photos on these trips- I suspect that my next blog will consist of nothing but pictures of people taking pictures).....We rode to the Palace Esterhazy in Eistenstadt for lunch at Restaurant Henrici. It was a very modern restaurant, despite being situated in he former carriage house for the adjoining palace. Lunch was refreshingly simple and fresh; based around fish and local produce, and was perfectly accompanied by a 2007 Neuberger/Weißburgunder blend by Tinhof (the Leithaberg, for those of you following along). The wine was light gold, medium bodied (but verging on a lush texture) and its low acidity and hint of botrytis was the perfect combination to suit the dish. A 2006 Esterhazy Weschriesling/Pinot Blanc TBA was poured with desert.
(Fresh produce being delivered during lunch)

2007 Stoller JV Pinot Noir - LA Times Wine of the Week

We interrupt the Austrian travelogue to report that the 2007 Stoller Vineyard JV Pinot Noir has been named the Wine of the Week in the Los Angeles Times!

2007 Stoller Vineyards Pinot Noir 'JV Estate'

A truly lovely Pinot Noir from Stoller Vineyards in the Dundee Hills of Oregon.

June 24, 2009

A truly lovely Pinot Noir from Stoller Vineyards in the Dundee Hills of Oregon. The JV stands for jeunes vignes, as in "junior vines," a younger, high-density planting. The wine Stoller made in 2007 is ripe yet delicate with wonderful berry flavors revved up with sweet spices and an earthy minerality. It's ready to drink now and terrific.

-- Irene Virbila

Region: Oregon

Price: About $25

Style: Elegant and approachable

What it goes with: leek or mushroom tart, vegetable terrine, roast chicken, calf's liver, veal.

Where to find it: Elvino Wines in Venice, (310) 396-9705, www.elvino; Mission Wines in South Pasadena, (626) 403-9463, www.mission; and the Wine House in West Los Angeles, (310) 479-3731, www.winehouse

Damn, I missed Spargel Week...

And who said it was all about health and wellness in Bad Gleichenberg? Sometimes asparagus is just asparagus...

Das Kurhaus & Schloß Kapfenstein, Austria 12 June, 2009

The town of Bad Gleichenberg is well known in Austria for its mineral water and spa treatments. These are not spas in the sense of Beverly Hills day spas, but places where your doctor has declared you in need of rejuvenation and the government has offered to pick up the tab for a couple of weeks.

We stayed at Das Kurhaus, a very modern "Life Medicine Resort" that was beautifully designed and looked about a century newer than most of the hotels in the town. It was such a nice place that I felt healthier just being there. After dropping my stuff in the room I went for a walk through the park and into town.It's a beautiful place, with health and wellness spas on every block and enough easy hills to walk to make you feel as if you're getting a workout (then again, entering the humid part of the year, walking just a few meters is enough to work up a sweat).  Das Kurhaus seems to be very eco-minded in terms of its design. Here's the view of the roof below from my 2nd-story room:

I like the idea of things growing on the roof - many of the new wineries we visited on this trip are built partway into hillslopes and have gardens planted on their roof, merging into the hillside. It's a nice touch.

Dinner that night took place at Schloß Kapfenstein, a few miles away from Bad Gleichenberg. The castle has been in the family of Georg Winkler-Hermaden for at least a couple of hundred years; he and his wife also have the Weingut Winkler-Hermaden, located on the hill leading up to the Schloß.
(L-R: A Styrian Wine Princess, Gerhard Elze of the OEWM, Georg and Margot Winkler-Hermaden)

A reception was held in the courtyard where we enjoyed a view that extended longer than my camera was able to capture. On a clear day apparently you can see some 250 kms from this site.

We adjourned to the dining room above for dinner and a tasting of regional wines, including some of the local red wines. The 2006 Winkeler-Hermaden Olivin Blauer Zweigelt stood out, as did an unusual red version of Blauer Wildbacher (the grape of Schilcher) made by Thomas Strohmaier. Its high acidity was tempered by a reasonable amount of barrique treatment. The result was a wine that I'd probably have identified blind as Nebbiolo, or perhaps an Irouleguy. It was sweet on the palate but also a kind of dusty and had a bit of elegance to it. The evening was closed out with a glass of 2006 Winkler-Hermaden Traminer TBA (only 247 gl RS) and a 2002 Lackner-Tinnacher Graüburgunder TBA. Both were beautiful, with plenty of acidity to support the intense sugar levels.

The evening ended in the Das Kurhaus bar, where I enjoyed a glass of Alois Gölles Old Blue Plum schnapps in preparation for our scheduled visit the next morning.

Traminer and Backhendl, Klöch, Südoststeiermark, Austria, 12 June, 2009

Traminer is a grape variety that does very well in Southern Austria, although it tends to be less effusive in terms of its overall aromatic profile than Gewurztraminer, its relative in Alsace. we traveled to the town of Klöch. As you can tell from this photo, the village is surrounded by vineyards, with many of them being Traminer. My take-away from the pre-lunch tasting and post-lunch seminar is that the identifiable marker for the Austrian Traminers I tasted is that they tend to be just on the other side of delicate. They show neither the gossamer finesse of the best Traminers from the Alto Adige, nor do they handle the residual sugar as gracefully as is done in Alsace. The acidity levels in the Austrians don't seem to balance the acids; perhaps it's a vintage thing (we tasted mainly 2008s) or more likely, just a matter of personal preference.

After the tasting, we adjourned to the outdoor dining area across the street for a traditional backhendl lunch at the Gasthof Domittner (they also make very good wine).
(This photo: Anna Stöcher)

Instead of the usual cucumber salad, the chicken was accompanied by a bowl of beans and lettuce, dressed in the omnipresent (in Styria, of course) roasted pumpkin seed oil.


The beauty of being served Backhendl for lunch was that it put these Traminers in an appropriate context. The RS issues aren't a big problem when you're drinking the wine alongside fried chicken.

(Ed McCarthy waits for lunch)

After lunch we returned inside for a Traminer seminar led by Peter Moser. He did an excellent job discussing the soil, climate, and all of the other factors (cultural included) that result in this area becoming a hotbed for Traminer. Of the wines tasted, I was impressed by the 2007 Gross Ratchscher Nussberg Große STK-Lage, a wine with a goodly dose of nutmeg with14.6 rs but enough acidity (6 gl) to enable it to age for a long time. It's a powerful wine that would go nicely with Thai food. Another I enjoyed was the 2007 Neumeister Steintal Roter Traminer. Eight months on yeast and aged in fuder, this wine was complex and balanced (17.6 rs and 4.2 gl of acid).

The World's Great Sauvignon Terroirs - 12 June, 2009, Berghausen, Austria

Friday began with a bus ride that took us through the amazingly beautiful hills of Südsteiermark to Weingut Tement.

We were there to do a comparative tasting of the World's Great Sauvignon Terroirs and the OEWM's intent was to show that the Austrians can hold their own with the best. Man, were they ever successful...the format was pretty straight ahead- four flights with three blind wines in each flight: one Austrian, one French, and one from NZ. Each was from the 2007 vintage and we tasted each flight, took notes, and then voted for which wine we preferred in each flight. The wines:

It was very easy to pick the New Zealand wine in each flight - the grassy/green bean notes gave them all away. Maybe it was just that they were being compared to old world wines, but these were my least-favorite wines in each flight. More difficult was the comparison between the Austrian Sauvignons and the Pouilly-Fumés and Sancerres in the lineup. There were more similarities than differences, so in each flight I wound up selecting the wine I thought was the best made. In the first flight, my first place went to the 2007 Weingut Gross Sulz, a wine showing tropical aromatics and low acidity on the palate. Nice wine, very young, and very pretty. Flight #2 was a tossup between the 2007 Comte Lafond Sancerre and the 2007 Polz Therese. Both of these wines seemed to be in a state of hibernation, not showing much other than hints of what they'll become with time. Flight #3 was also difficult to work with, although ultimately I thought that the 2007 Sattlerhof Kranachberg was the class of the field. Its low residual sugar level was a good comparison to the also-dry Cloudy Bay and set it apart from the Henri Bourgeois Pouilly Fumé La Demoiselle de Bourgeois. Flight #4 was challenging as well, but there was an elegance to the 2007 Dagueneau Pur Sang that wasn't quite matched by the Tement Grassnitzberg. This begged the question, what if the 2007 Tement Zieregg Sauvignon had been the competition? Bottles were found and poured, and while this wine has a brilliant future ahead of it, the Dagueneau would still have carried the flight. (Manfred Tement)

As it happened, it was Manfred Tement's birthday and he opened a magnum of the 1997 Zieregg Sauvignon for us. As I've learned is the case with most older Sauvignons, they benefit from a little bit of aeration. It was a little reduced but after about 15-20 minutes, the floral essence of the wine converged with the receding herbal character and the wine became one of the high points of the entire trip. 

At the conclusion of the Great Sauvignon Terroirs tasting we adjourned to the tasting room upstairs. (Hugo Rose, MW and Arunas Starkus at the top of the world)

The multilevel Tement facility is beautifully designed and appears quite functional, incorporating a tasting room, administrative offices, winemaking, bottling, and warehousing in one building. Fabulous art is all over the place, each piece selected by Manfred. 

The next generation is already fully involved with operations: (Tement, Tement, Moser, & Tement)

While in the cellar I was offered a taste of a barrel sample of the 2006 Zieregg IC (for Intercellular Fermentation) Sauvignon. Whole-cluster fermentation occurs in stainless steel and the wine is then moved into barrique for the completion of its elevage. The wine tasted very alive and is developing a lot of complexity. I'm anxious to taste the finished wine, but not so anxious to imagine the lofty levels its suggested retail price might warrant. This brings up the conundrum of consumers seemingly being  happy to pay near-extortionate prices for say, Bordeaux Blanc or high-end Pouilly-Fumé but remainreluctant to fork over more than about $30 (US) for Sauvignon grown in Austria, USA, or Australia, despite the fact that the quality is comparable.

Leutschach, Austria, 11 June, 2009

Following the post-lunch tasting, we were scheduled to head to Leutschach for a hike through thte Pössnitzberg vineyards with Christoph Poz and Erwin Sabathi but more than a little rain began to fall (I think the correct description would be "biblical proportions") so we went directly to the Sabathi winery instead. There has been a burst of winery construction in Styria over the past decade, due to increased revenue (due to increased quality!) and some assistance from the EU. (Erwin Sabathi winery)

We crammed into the tasting room and worked through Gelber Muskateller and Sauvignon Blanc from Tscheppe am Pössnitzberg and Erwin Sabathi. Winemakers Christoph Polz and Erwin Sabathi led us through their wines made from grapes grown in Possnitzberg. After a tour of the winery, we rode up the road a few minutes to the Hotel Tscheppe am Pössnitzberg for dinner and to spend the evening. 

The hotel appears to have been constructed relatively recently. It houses the Weingut Tscheppe tasting room and its restaurant has received a Michelin star. My room was great, with an expansive view of the valley below as well as a graphic depiction of soil strata in the wall deviding the bedroom from the bathroom. The young grapvines planted on either side of the headboard were a nice touch too. 

Dinner in the Restaurant Kreuzwirt was excellent. Peter Moser endeavored to match the wines with the food, to varying levels of success. The 2008 Neumeister Steirische Klassik Gelber Muskateller was spicy, crisp, and tropical (ie: very drinkable) but the 2008 Sattlerhof Steirische Klassik Sauvignon Blanc seemed to go better with the Char and its accompanying asparagus and herbs.

Other wines served during dinner that were impressive included a 2003 Polz Hochgrassnitzberg Reserve Sauvignon Blanc that offered intriguing layers of herbs and tangerines (quite a good foil for mushrooms in a foie sauce) as well as the 1997 Tement Pinot Noir that paired well with the venison course.

(A couple of venison loins)

The Luise und Hannes Jöbstl Schilcher TBA that was served with dessert. The acidity that that is inherent in the Blauer Wildbacher used to make the rosé Schilchers we tasted earlier in the day played well with the botrytis and black tea (with prunes) that were highlights of this wine (FWIW, the residual sugar in this TBA was listed at 189)!

(Willi Klinger, w/Peter Moser in the background)

A good time was had by all. (Yohan Handoyo, Sandra Auernigg, Me)

Sulmtaler Capon, Pinot-related white wines, 11 June 2009

After the grand Schilcher tasting, we headed back to the bus for the trip to Restaurant Kappel in Kitzeck. This is a restaurant and a wellness hotel, plus they make their own wine. The view from the patio area was fantastic, extending all the way to Slovenia (the view, not the deck).

We began with a walk-around tasting of wines related to Pinot: Pinot Blanc, Chardonnay/Morillon, and Grauburgunder (Pinot Gris). Highlights for me were the 2008 Grassnitzberg Pinot Blanc from Primus and the 2008 Eisnegg Eckberg Grauburgunder. A number of the wines suffered from having been subjected to too much oak. In the seminar following lunch we learned that some producers are getting a better feel for the wood treatment. This is similar to what happened with red wine production in Burgenland over the past decade so there's great potential for oak to ultimately enhance the wines' character rather than obliterate it.

The main attraction of the Restaurant Kappel (other than a spectacular view that extends to Slovenia) was the opportunity to taste the Sulmtaler Capon. This bird is very similar in intent to a Bresse chicken. The capon was the Emperor's favorite chicken and was served mainly at banquets attended by the aristocrocy. "High chicken culture" disappeared after WWII but was resurrected in Großklein about a decade ago. Whereas most commercial chickens live for about 27 days before being processed, the Sulmtaler capons are aged for 27-28 weeks, fed free-range on the family farms run by members of the Sulmtaler group. The "thoroughbred chicken" is stocky, with plenty of energy. Capons are neutered males (cuts down on the fighting) but they maintain a bit of attitude, resulting in an overall more healthy chicken with great flavor.
Members of the Sulmtaler group keep meticulous records about the capons to preserve documentation of the breed. Quality control is impressive, with the result being that Sulmtaler capons are served in the top restaurants in Austria.
The dark meat is very dark and flavorful, verging almost on the earthiness of turkey. After carving, the capon is served atop locally grown potatoes. A gravy-boat of chicken schmalz is also provided if there not enough fat from the chicken and potatoes already.

Following dessert and coffee, we proceeded back inside for a seminar presented by Willi Klinger and Peter Moser on the Pinot-related wines being made in the Südsteiermark and Südosteiermark regions. The wines across the board were well made, but as mentioned above, several suffered from a surfeit of oak. I really enjoyed the 2007 Gross Kittenberg Weißburgunder. Grown on hilly schist near the southern border of the region, the wine's inherent minerality was apparent. Aged in fuder, it showed some softness around the edges but still has a long way to go before reaching maturity. The 2007 Klausen Erste STK-Lage Weißburgunder from Weingut Neumeister was similar in quality to the Gross but was grown in volcanic soil. This resulted in a slightly more zaftig palate sensation, although it still had a brilliantly hightoned finish to it. Of the Chardonnays/Morillons, my favorite was the 2007 Weingut Jaunegg  Muri. Its strikingly graphic (literally) label sets the tone for the rich, balanced wine. The oak treatment is evident but not obtrusive, deftly balancing out citrus and mineral notes, leaving a hint of orange blossom and cinammon on the finish.

Does wine get any wilder than a Blauer Wildbacher? Schilcher Tasting, 11 June 2009

Schilcher is a rosé wine produced only in Weststeiermark, Austria. It is made from a grape called Blauer Wildbacher, quite probably the most obscure grape variety I've ever experienced. The wines tend to be very acidic (acidic like take the enamel off your teeth and half the gums too) and the sparkling versions definitely benefit from this variety's inherent um, crispness. It is an acquired taste to say the least, but it's a taste that's definitely enjoyed by the locals.

Blauer Wildbacher makes up 80% of the grape production in Steiermark. This region is famed for its Lipizzaner Stallions and a white horse symbol is used to designate the top quality Schilchers. Blauer Wildbacher grows on the hills of the region's gneiss soil and is a late-ripening variety, usually picked in mid October. The traditional style used to go for a higher level of acidity but these days it's down around 8-10 gl. Not much residual sugar though, thus the alcohol levels remain in the 11.5 - 12.5 range.

Tasting through eleven Schilchers presented a very challenging lineup to partake of so early in the morning.This is obviously one of those wines where context is important. Served on a warm, humid day alongside smoked charcuterie, trout or with Asian cuisine packing a little heat, the wine would be perfect.

The tasting was moderated by Peter Moser, a noted Austrian wine critic and writer who has lived in Styria and was very familiar with these wines. His knowledge certainly made a difference in our ability to understand them.
Moser writes the Falstaff Ultimate Wine Guide, an annual reference guide that should be in the library of anyone interested in Austrian wine.

The next night at Schloss Kapfenstein we had the opportunity to taste the 2006 Thomas Strohmaier  Blauer Wildbacher. This is a red wine made from the same grape that's used to make Schilcher...this example reminded me of Nebbiolo with a little bit of Irouleguy tannat blended in. It was sweet on the palate, with high acidity (but not as noticeable as in the rosés) and a little toasty and silky as a result of its barrique treatment. In the guise of a red wine, this was definitely a more approachable use of Blauer Wildbacher, although it would be interesting to taste the rosé on a hot, humid day. In that context, it might be the greatest wine in the world.