Boku Heim midweek tasting

This weeks midweek tasting showed a pretty nice line up of different wines and regions. From Pfalz in Germany, to Austria´s Kremstal, Kamptal, Weinviertel, Neusiedlersee-Hügelland, Neusiedlersee and last but not least Mittelburgenland. The styles of the wines varied accordingly and overall the quality was quite impressive.

The usual tasting team suspects were joined by our class mate, friend and proficient taster Rüdiger.

Note: All wines were tasted open.

1. Grauburgunder 2008 from Weingut Müller-Kern - Pfalz - good - €6,20

rather neutral on the nose, but typical on the palate, refreshing, easy drinking stuff.

2. Sauvignon Blanc 2008 from Weingut Müller-Kern - ok 

green elder leafs, quite high in SO2, bit RS, unripe green flavors, gets more unpleasant with air.

3. Sauvignon Blanc 08 from Weingut Bärenhof - Pfalz - good

ripe falvors, greengage plum and elder, bit botrytis rot, good acid structure, a bit short on the finish.

4. Riesling Spätlese „Dürkheimer Rittergarten“ 2008 from Weingut Bärenhof - ok/good

hints of honey, rather one dimensional nose, acid structure ok, improves with O2, quite easy on midpalate. 

5. Kremstal DAC 2007 from Weingut Stadt Krems - good/very good

honey and very ripe flavors, hints of petrol, minerally, rather evolved, acid structure ok, 

6. Riesling Spätlese „Hammbacher Schlossberg“ 2007 from Weingut Müller-Kern - yech

sulfur reduction pure, good acid structure but sulfur reduction flavors on the palate too.

7. Riesling Auslese 2007 trocken from Weingut Bärenhof - very good

stone fruit, peaches and apricot, very typical, dark berries, underlined with slate flavors, very good acid structure, multilayered, very good length.

8. Riesling 2006 „Die Leidenschaft“ from Weingut Martin Arndorfer - very good/delicious

apricot and peaches, typical Austrian Riesling, tobacco, minerally, multilayered nose, slate, oak perfectly integrated, creamy texture, very lingering.

9. Pinot Blanc „Ungsteiner Osterberg“ Spätlese 2007 from Weingut Bärenhof - yech

sulfur reduction, sauerkraut, same flavors on the palate,

10. Grüner Veltliner „Hundsberg“ 2007 from Weingut Pröll - very good

fruity, hints of honey and butterscotch, pepper, spices, creamy texture, tobacco, balanced acid structure, quite lingering.

11. Weinviertel DAC „Kellerberg“ 2007 from Weingut Gschweicher - very good 

withe pepper, still young, soft texture but spicy, quite lingering.

12. Syrah 2004 from Weingut Kirnbauer - ok/good

spicy, sticht etw in der Nase, quite ripe, broad flavors, oak dominated, rather evolved, bit acetone, 

13. Ursus Magnus 2005 from Weingut Bärenhof - very good

super dark color, light pipe tobacco, peppermint, eucalyptus, dried mushrooms, bell pepper, oak very well integrated, very good tannin and acid structure, lingering.

14. Heulichin 2006 from Weingut Wagentristl - very good

fruity, tobacco, minty, eucalyptus, soft tannin structure, distinctive, good length, oak power, still young, lingering, will massively improve with more time in bottle. 

15. Blaufränkisch Lüss 2007 from Weingut Lentsch - very good

dark color, spicy, ripe cherry, ripe plums, horse radish, good acid and tannin structure, juicy, 

16. Zweigelt „Excellence“  2003 from Weingut Veit - very good/delicious

cassis and cinnamon, black berries, juicy tannin, super lingering, ripe and very balanced, good extract, powered.

17. Vitikult 2006 from Weingut Kirnbauer - corc

extreme corc taint ... for training!!!

Annual "Wein Burgenland" presentation

This year annual "Wein Burgenland" presentation was really interesting. Crowds of wine lovers joined me tasting, sipping, chatting, bit later loudly discussing and cheering in the quite nice ambient of the Viennese "Museumsquartier" of short MQ. I´ve tasted about 100 wines but due to time limits I will just publish those rated good or better.

The most inspiring conversation that afternoon was with Martina Mariel from winery Konrad Mariel. We talked about the different tasting habits and pattern of winemakers, consumers and journalists. Long conversation cut short - winemakers are always looking for faults and taints, journalists are on the other side of this spectrum, they are looking for all the positive flavors and are more generous regarding minor (some even major eg. Brett) flaws, the consumers is somewhere in the middle, I hope the consumers main concern is looking for pleasure.

Here are my tasting notes: (some wines showed restrained flavors due to recent bottlings)

1. Sauvignon Blanc 2008 from Weingut Haider Heinrich - good 

fresh green flavors, very typical for SB in this region, good acid structure.

2. Zweigelt 2007 from Weingut Heiling - good

cherries, good tannin structure, length ok.

3. Sankt Laurent 2007 from Weingut Heiling - good

bit restrained, but opens up wit more O2, fruitdriven

4. Pinot Noir 2005 from Weingut Leo Hillinger - good/very good

bit stinky at the first snif, but with more O2 very typical flavors, good structure.

5. Hill 1 2006 from Weingut Leo Hillinger - good

rather oaky and closed, very modern style, juicy tannins, good strucutre, young.

6. Sankt Laurent 2007 from Weingut Hans Nittnaus - good

quite typical color and flavors, very good length.

7. Pinot Noir 2006 from Weingut Schloss Halbturn - good/very good

bit closed, very typical, soft lingering tannin backbone.

8. Muskat Ottonel 2008 from Weingut Silvia Steiner - good

fruit driven, very good balanced.

9. Pinot Blanc 2008 from Weingut Birgit Braunstein - good

restrained pear aroma, flinty, good structure, shows minerality on the palate.

10. Chardonnay 2008 from Weingut Birgit Braunstein - good

ripe yellow apple, bit restrained, good acid structure, minerality.

11. Gelber Muskateller 2008 from Weingut Konrad Mariel - good

fresh, fruity, musky, good acid structure, refreshing.

12. Grüner Veltliner 2008 from Weingut Konrad Mariel - good/very good

peppery nose, very typical variety expression, racy acid backbone.

13. Pinot Blanc 2008 from Weingut Konrad Mariel - good

creamy, pear, flinty, quite lean palate.

 

14. Cuvee Condre 2007 from Weingut Konrad Mariel - good/very good 

Cassis, some green hints but not unpleasant, multilayered, good balanced.

15. GV Bergweingarten M 2008 from Weingut Sommer - good/very good

spicy, peppery, very good acid structure, typical.

16. Sauvignon Blanc Wolfsbach 2008 from Weingut Sommer - good

bell pepper, some asparagus, canned peas.

17. Chardonnay Kreuzjoch 2008 from Weingut Sommer - good

fresh, fruity, sugar melon, good acid structure.

18. Muskateller 2008 from Weingut Sommer - good

very explosive nose, typical, green apple, quite soft palate, good length.

19. Rivaner 2008 from Weingut Wagentristl - good

musky, very subtle aroma.

20. Pinot Blanc 2008 from Weingut Wagentristl - good

fresh, fruity, exotic fruit cocktail, good length.

21. Chardonnay 2008 from Weingut Wagentristl - good

soft, melon, some more exotic fruits, balanced.

22. Blaufränkisch 2006 from Weingut Wagentristl - good

spicy, straightforward style, good length.

23. Pinot Noir Kreideberg 2006 from Weingut Wagentristl - good

pale red, orange reflections, red fruits, spicy, good length.

24. Cuvee Heulichin 2006 from Weingut Wagentristl - good/very good

bold, oak, still very young, restrained but good fruit, lingering.

25. Mittelburgenland DAC Reserve 2006 from Weingut Bauer-Pöltl - good

spicy, lean, very typical, good tannin structure.

26. Mittelburgenland DAC Reserve Quintus 2006 from Weingut Iby - good/very good

bit restrained fruit, lean and straightforward, very good structured, age worthy.

27. Chevalier 2006 from Weingut Iby - good

restrained fruit, quite closed now, very good length and structure.

28. Ab Ericio 2006 from Weingut Igler - good

bit plasticine, maybe minor Brett infection (future will show), currently juicy tannin structure, lingering.