The Austrian white flights made me fly today. Like me, many tasters had a big smile in their face at the Erste Lagen presentation of the ÖTW. The vintner’s organisation showcased some stunning wines of the 2019 vintage. The combination of a crystal-like, crisp acidity and perfectly ripe, bright but intense fruit is one of my markers of this great year.
I tasted many great wines, so it is not easy to mention just a handful of producers and their Rieslings and Grüne Veltliner.
However, I had some favourite producers: I favoured Bründlmayer and Jurtschitsch for the 2019 vintage; Schloss Gobelsburg and Fred Loimer for the 2018 collection.But let’s focus on 2019 first. I want to highlight just a few examples, such as Bründelmayer’s “Steinmassl” 2019. This Riesling exemplified the virtues of the vintage very well: Crisp acidity, scents of lemon curd with Baiser, white lowers with a refined salty, mineral grip on the palate. Multilayered with lovely minty-herbal notes, dense and incredibly long. Worldclass. Impressive also his “Heiligenstein Alte Reben”, Lyra and his Grüner Veltliner from “Ried Lamm”.
Jurtschitsch shines similar bright this year – Riesling Heiligenstein and Grüner Veltliner “Ried Lamm” 2019 just brilliant – Fresh, dense, tight and very complex.
But don’t overlook 2018. Schloss Gobelsburg produced a beautiful, classic collection. Fred Loimer presented a beautiful lineup 2018 too – one of my picks of the day was his “Seeberg” 2018. Precise acidity, layers of lime and minerals with a super long lingering finish.
