Sources: Austrian Wine Marketing Board data and pers. comms., 2010.

As France has Appellation d’Origine Contrôlée (AoC) and Italy has DOC/G, (Denominazione di Origine Controllata (e Garantita)) so Austria has developed DAC, or Districtus Austriae Controllatus (controlled Austrian districts). 

While it may take some time for the new system to bed in, one of the aims is to simplify things for consumers. This is no bad thing considering the level of fragmentation in Austria’s wine growing culture – around 17,000 producers vie for 52,500 hectares (ha), giving an average vineyard holding of just 3 ha.  Factor in more than 30 different grape varieties to this picture and wine, already a confusing category, begins to resemble kaleidoscopic possibilities.

What the DAC does, is find which one or two grape varieties each region has been doing best for some years.  It then retro-fits these varieties in each region into an appellation system, enshrining in law the ‘typical’ style for each selected grape variety that has evolved over the last quarter of a century and longer.  

The idea is that consumers, rather than being confused by the plethora of producers and varieties, will be able to choose a DAC wine, knowing approximately what style of wine to expect, as they might do now for Bordeaux or Côtes du Rhône.

Another major benefit of an appellation system is geographic protection. The EU brought in new wine laws in 2009, effectively bringing wine under the same labelling as food, for example Parma ham can only come from Parma, Stilton can only come from three named counties in England, Jersey Royal potatoes from Jersey etc.  All have a ‘protected designation of origin’ or PDO. It protects a unique product/place combination.

The new wine laws effectively made all top level wine appellations the equivalent of PDO – so AoC in France, DOC/G in Italy, DO/Ca in Spain … and DAC in Austria are all PDO.  Some producers may choose to label their wines as such, while others may keep to the well established monikers.

Back to Austria …

Weinviertel kicked off the DAC idea in 2002.  It is the biggest, most diffuse vine growing region with a third of the entire country’s vine plantings, and with arguably one of the least well-recognised names, even now. It’s easy to understand that pinning its colours to the mast of a single grape variety might help the region to develop a clearer image both domestically and on export markets, even though at least 35 different grape varieties are grown in the region.

As grüner veltliner accounts for the half the region’s plantings, this was an easy choice.

Ulrike Hager, managing director of the Weinviertel wine committee highlighted the fragmentation of Weinviertel: with 7,000 producers, and only 500 of them owning more than 5 ha, finding a wine and coming back to it can be challenging. For a consumer arriving in Weinviertel and wanting to try a typical wine from the region, it is inordinately confusing.  She said “if the consumer doesn’t know the individual vintner, it is easier to choose a DAC, which has a clear and distinctive tasting profile.”

Certainly the region’s early adoption was a strategy to improve the Weinviertel brand image, as the region had previously been better known for its cheap wines, with the exception of a handful of high quality producers, including the likes of Graf Hardegg, Weinrieder and Zull.

DAC wine must conform to certain style parameters, agreed within each region, and it is awarded on an annual basis by a blind-tasting panel. So far for Weinviertel up to 50% fail the quality taste test, which illustrates the still variable quality in this diffuse region. And it highlights that if DAC is meeting minimum standards then this must be good news for consumers.  Wines that have failed the DAC taste test are labelled just with the generic region. In the case of Weinviertel, Niederösterreich.

Any so-called ‘quality wines’ (one of those EU definitions, meaning PDO wines) from grüner veltliner made outside of the DAC rules in Weinviertel, and all wines made from any of the other 30+ grape varieties grown in Weinviertel must be labelled simply as Niederösterreich. The idea here is to continue to allow freedom of expression by individual growers using any of the 35 grape varieties permitted for this top level of wine – quality, or PDO, wine. 

And where the DAC is seen as aspirational, it is also an opportunity for small producers to invest in the quality of their production.  So for Weinviertel, with its historic reputation for entry level bulk wine, the benefits of DAC outweigh any disadvantages.

But to take part in the DAC, producers must confirm to the style and flavour bracket from the permitted variety/ies, so grüner veltliner for Weinviertel. Weinviertel DAC wine must be dry, with a maximum 6g/l residual sugar and a minimum 12% alcohol. It must not have either wood influence or botrytis influence and the flavour profile must include a distinct spicy white pepper note among the fruit.  So, if it says Weinviertel DAC on the label, it should always be a gentle, spicy white-peppery grüner veltliner in a light to medium weight style.

More generally, DAC wines can be in more than one style – so far two – classic (light to medium weight, fruit focused, easier-drinking) and reserve (fuller bodied, richer, more age-worthy). Indeed, from the 2009 vintage, Weinviertel has added a ‘reserve’ style. The wines must retain the characteristic pepperiness, and reserve wines must be dry, more robust and richer than the classic style. Botrytis and wood notes are acceptable. Minimum alcohol is 13%.  

All DAC wines are dry, being defined as less than 9g/l residual sugar, though individual DACs may have tighter tolerances.

Outside Wienviertel…

Since 2002, another six regions have signed up to DAC.  In all but one either grüner veltliner and riesling or blaufränkisch are the chosen varieties. 

In the Danube basin, Kamptal, Kremstal and Traisental have adopted DAC for grüner veltliner and riesling, which in all three areas comprise nearly two-thirds of plantings. In all three regions, both classic and reserve interpretations are permitted.

In Burgenland, Mittelburgenland and Eisenberg have declared classic and reserve DAC for blaufränkisch. Still in Burgenland, Leithaberg has broken the mould slightly by creating DAC for red, from blaufränkisch, and white from any of weissburgunder (pinot blanc), chardonnay, neuburger and grüner veltliner, singly or in combination. 

Here’s a summary of the evolving Austrian wine law

Sources: Austrian Wine Marketing Board data and pers. comms., 2010.

Wachau Vineyards

In all of this, Wachau is probably the biggest anomaly.  This region, at the far end of the Danube, has had its own classification, controlled by Vinea Wachau Nobilis Districtus since 1984, before any idea of appellations in Austria was conceived. Here again, riesling and grüner veltliner are the dominant varieties, covering two-thirds of the region’s vineyards.  However, the Wachau classification is in three style levels:  steinfeder, federspiel, smaragd.  Classic is closer to federspiel and steinfeder, reserve to smaragd.

The approach to creating a DAC is predicated on viticultural practices that have evolved over time, selecting the grape varieties that are the ones which have taken on a dominant, well-adapted position in a region’s plantings. Each region has observed their own archetypal expression of their chosen grape variety/ies, and packaged them up into the DAC.  So the DAC is formalising what is evolving anyway.  Any wines meeting the DAC criteria and style paradigm, and passing the tasting panel become DAC. 

However, producers are not prevented from growing other varieties, or indeed DAC varieties, and making a style outside the parameters of DAC requirements.  Such wines are just labelled whatever is the generic region.  Thus sauvignon blanc from Kamptal would be labelled ’Sauvignon Blanc, Niederösterreich’.  Or a grüner veltliner from Zobinger Heiligenstein not conforming to DAC rules could be labelled ‘Grüner Veltliner Zöbinger Heiligenstein Niederösterreich’. 

A producer’s portfolio can contain both DAC and non-DAC wines.

As well as formalising part of current practice, DAC puts a regional ticket on a block of wines, the same way Bordeaux, Rhône, Rioja, Chianti and Barolo do. As in these other regions, permitted grape varieties are specified – Bordeaux is cabernet sauvignon and merlot, Barolo is nebbiolo etc. 

And it is this origin, this regional ticket, that is protected under EU law.  The DAC names are protected, so, for example, only grapes grown in Kamptal can make a Kamptal wine, but grüner veltliner grown anywhere can be called grüner veltliner.  That Kamptal DAC is grüner veltliner, and riesling, now becomes the unwritten knowledge, as cabernet sauvignon and merlot are for Bordeaux.  And as there are many different types and styles of ‘terroir’ in the more well-established European regions, so it is with the evolving Austrian DACs. It is not an attempt to link a particular pedo-climatic complex with a particular grape variety and style.

The DAC system brings Austrian wine into line with that existing in most other European regions, and it focuses on a few well and widely established grape varieties. For folk new to Austrian wine, it could just be a safe starting point.

A combination of ripeness with retained, relatively high acidity are cited as the defining parameters of the 2009 in the main riesling regions of Mosel, Rheingau, Nahe, Pfalz and the Rheinhessen. This was defined as a year of long ripening and good structure. But volumes are down across the board.

Some have said 2009 is as good as 2007. By comparison 2008 was not so warm, on average. There is enough ripeness in 2008 but the acidity is crispier and more pronounced. The wines are perhaps less concentrated than the 2009s.

Rheingau vineyards

Weingut Josef Leitz is located in Rüdesheim, at the western end of the Rheingau. It is run by Johannes Leitz, who took over the 28 hectare family property in 1985, when he was just 21.  He grows only riesling.  

Rebuilding a reputation takes time, and Johannes said “I found my real way in 2000 after 15 years. Since 2000, we really do a lot in the vineyard. We cut the bottom of bunches, we de-leaf. Then we press very gently.”

The Rheingau is a small region, accounting for just 3% of Germany’s vineyard area. It runs for 30km in an east-west direction on the south-facing right bank of the river Rhine as it flows between Mainz and Rüdesheim. At Rüdesheim, which eyeballs Bingen on the other bank, the river hits the Hünsruck mountains and turns north. 

Also at Rüdesheim is the Germania monument, which commemorates the re-establishment of the German empire after the Franco-Prussian war of 1870-71. It overlooks the river from the top of the slope at 320m above sea level, just below the forest above, which protects the vineyards from the cold chills of the night.

Leitz put Rheingau riesling into context against those from other German regions, saying “In Hessen and Pfalz they are richer and heavier. The Mosel is colder, the Devonian slate bringing a special minerality.  The Rheingau is in-between: it has softer acidity than the Mosel, it is lighter than Hessen and Pfalz. People say yellow fruit aromas, peaches, is typical of Rheingau riesling.”

Read here for a review of the 2009 rieslings from Weingut Hermann Dönnhoff in the Nahe.

Read here for a review of the 2009 rieslings from JL Wolf in the Pfalz.

Read here for a review of the 2009 rieslings from Weingut Gunderloch in Rheinhessen.

Read here for a review of the 2009 rieslings from Dr. Loosen in Mosel.

Tasting notes, in situ, April 2010

2009 Eins-Zwei-Dry, Riesling Qualitätswein trocken
12%. Dry, lemongrass, easy to drink, approachable with a bit of layering. Good fruit flavours that are long in the mouth. Good.

2009 Rudesheimer, Riesling Qualitätswein trocken
12%. All fruit is from Berg Rottland,
Lime zest, quite full body, rich and opulent, big flavours, citrus and white stone fruit. 

2009 Rüdesheimer Bischofsberg Riesling spätlese trocken
12%. 8g/l RS. >8g/l TA. Mostly sandy loam, clay and quartzite
Lime; taut. Steely, upright, racy, good intensity of fruit and focus  

2009 Rüdesheimer Berg Roseneck, Riesling Qualitâtswein trocken
On quartzite, which “gives it spiciness and saltiness”
Limegrass, hint of sweet fruit on attack which gives nice balance, slight tingle on the tongue, lovely freshness and depth, with whirlpool-prickle in the core. Long finish.

2009 Rüdesheimer Berg Rottland, Riesling Trocken, alte reben
12.5%. 60 years old.  Leitz said “We can our best wines alte reben.”
Lifted apple blossom, piercing rapier lime attack, steely, almost herbal note, followed up by rich ripe soft fruits with big mouth-feel. Finishes very clean and fresh. Good. Very long.

2009 Rüdesheimer Kirchenpfad Riesling Kabinett feinherb
11%  18g/l RS.  ‘Church path’.  Sandy loam and clay. Leitz “the perfect summer wine.”
Lifted, floral, elegant and light, good simple juicy intensity, decent length. Perception of taste is pretty dry

2009 Rudesheimer Riesling Kabinett
9%. 45g/l RS   
Fresh, fruity, citrus. Everything is in its place but I find this slightly less appealing.

2009 Rüdesheimer Magdalenenkreuz Riesling Spatlese
8.5%. 65g/l RS.  ‘Cross of Mary Magdalene’. Sandy loam and clay. 
Sweet, lime cordial, linden leaf, plush, easy to drink, finishing fresh and clean.

2009 Rüdesheimer Berg Roseneck Riesling spätlese
7.5%. 106g/l RS.
Lime leaf, sweet, honeyed, crystalline citrus fruits, with layers, and purity. Precision acidity, and focus. Delightful, with razor sharp clarity. Layered and surreptitiously complex. Very long.

2009 Rüdesheimer Drachenstein Riesling Eiswein
8%. 11g/l TA. 200 Oechsle. Picked in December at -14°C.  Previous eiswein vintage was 2001.  
Dense sweetness, barley sugar, spicy complexitiy. Almost so dense it’s savoury, in big and powerful style. Lifted fresh peach and nectarine fruits.

The UK agents, ABS Wine Agencies, flew me, and a group of UK importers, to Germany to taste the 2009s from the producers they represent. 

 Source : Philippe Guigal (pers. comm.), June 2008

A combination of ripeness with retained, relatively high acidity are cited as the defining parameters of the 2009 in the main riesling regions of Mosel, Rheingau, Nahe, Pfalz and the Rheinhessen. This was defined as a year of long ripening and good structure. But volumes are down across the board.

Some have said 2009 is as good as 2007. By comparison 2008 was not so warm, on average. There is enough ripeness in 2008 but the acidity is crispier and more pronounced. The wines are perhaps less concentrated than the 2009s.

Weingut Dr. Loosen is located at Bernkastel in the Mosel, and is run by Ernst Loosen, who took over the reins of this family property in 1987.

While properties away from the less extreme climate of the Mosel can make a mix of dry styles and fruitier styles, in the Mosel this is difficult to achieve due to the late ripening of fruit. This means that 80 to 85% of Loosen’s wines are in the fruitier styles, with the fine, taut balance proffered by such an extreme climate.

The Mosel accounts for less than 10% of the country’s vineyard plantings, but riesling is by far the most important grape in the valley, with 60% of Mosel vineyards being planted to it. Loosen gives riesling even more focus – 98% of the property is planted to this grape variety, across his 18 hectares.

Read here for a review of the wines from Weingut Hermann Dönnhoff in the Nahe.

Read here for a review of the wines from JL Wolf in the Pfalz.

Read here for a review of the wines from Weingut Gunderloch in Rheinhessen.

Tasting notes, in situ, April 2010

2009 Dr. Loosen RedSlate Riesling trocken
12.5%, ~8g/l RS. A new wine from both contracted and estate fruit, sitting above Dr. L in the portfolio.
Lemon-lime fruitiness on nose and palate, pure and fresh, good intensity of flavour, tasting pretty dry. Refreshing and nicely balanced. Good to drink, with lime zest finish.

2009 Dr. L Riesling Qualitätswein
8.5%, 40g/l RS, 7.9 g/l TA.
It tastes more like 20g/l residual sugar, but if it only had that much sugar, the alcohol would be much higher. Lemony and spritzy, with honeyed attack of crisp apple. Fresh with pristine acidity, and a decent finish.

2009 Bernkasterler Lay Riesling Kabinett
7.5%, 54g/l RS. Blue and weathered grey slate mix. ‘Lay’ is an old word for slate.
Lime and pithy, sweet limey attack, dense and plush, long finish. Rather more-ish, as the light alcohol is seductive. Delightful, delicious aperitif. Purity and integrity at its best.

2009 Erdener Treppchen Riesling Kabinett
7.5%. 58g/l RS. Red slate
Lime pith and apple blossom, floral, orange peel, crunchy sweetness, some emerging complexity. Sweet tropical palate, attractive density of flavour, with unfurling layers and layered finish. Feels more serious than Lay. Good.

2009 Erdener Treppchen Riesling Spätlese
7.5%, .70g/l RS, 8,4g/l TA. Red slate
Apricot and star anise, with spicy sweetness and ripe tropical fruit. Almost medium bodied in a flavour-concentration and extract sort of way. Intense, with a precise fruity balance.

2009 Ürziger Würzgarten Riesling spätlese
68g/l RS. 8.2 g/l TA, Weathered red volcanic soil
Firestone and star anise. Complex, spicy, with exotic fruit. Pristine and fleshy. Rich and quite lush with intense and concentrated flavours and a long, long finish.

2009 Wehlener Sonnenuhr Riesling Auslese
88g/l RS. Blue Devonian slate
Peach, apricot, honeyed, very sweet attack. A tiny bit of botrytis giving a savoury aromatic lift to the nose, and concentration to the palate. Palate is tight, tropical, very fruity – pure fruits. Full flavour and long.

2009 Urziger Wurzgarten Riesling Auslese
90g/l RS
Aromatic bitumen spice from 5-10% of botrytis. Pristine and focused with lime and sweet tropical fruit. Massive flavour with fairy-like lightness, and an exquisite balance. Pure, with enormous depth and concentration. Lovely.

2009 Erdener Prälat Riesling Auslese Goldkapsel
100-105g/l RS. Prälat is the heart of the Treppchen vineyard.
With about 60% botrytis, this is concentrated and closed. Sweet-spice, and firestone, with cinnamon-aromatised apple and lime, and notes of bruised apple compote. All the structure and concentration in place for big flavours to blossom. Really very nice.

The UK agents, ABS Wine Agencies, flew me, and a group of UK importers, to Germany to taste the 2009s from the producers they represent.

Vines and veldt

The key initiatives, in terms of moving a little further along the path of sustainability, are the IPW (Integrated Production of Wine) and BWI (Biodiversity and Wine Initiative).  The new one – SWSA (Sustainable Wine South Africa) – allies these two and links into the authority that governs and approves South African wine – the Wine Standards Board.  

The Board is responsible for the wine of origin scheme, which confirms the vintage, variety and South African origin of the wine. A seal is printed on every bottle of South African wine that conforms to the wine of origin scheme. 

From the 2010 vintage the Board will also confirm which wines have been made by certified IPW producers. A new, ‘sustainability’ seal exists to show conformance to IPW.  To qualify for the new seal every part of the production process must be IPW accredited – the farm/vineyard, the winery and the bottling plant. The new sustainability seal is only available to wines bottled in South Africa.

Wine of origin seal

Any wines not made to the certified IPW standards will continue to use the wine of origin seal. 

Su Birch, the CEO of Wines of South Africa, the organisation that promotes South African wine in export markets, said SWSA took its inspiration from ‘hannuwa’, the “heritage of the bushmen, who gathered good fortune by living in harmony with nature, and by not harvesting more than nature could replenish each year.”  

Birch added “we believe 50% of wines will go out with this seal in 2010, and over 80% by the 2011 vintage.”  The aim, she added of the voluntary scheme, “is to make it compulsory.”  

The industry-wide IPW scheme has been running since 1998.  It is similar to integrated farm management schemes that exist in Europe, in that it aims to reduce industrial inputs into the farming (in this case vine growing) system, reduce carbon emissions and introduce a more integrated approach to pest management, health and safety of workers, conservation of biodiversity, and treatment of waste water. The scheme requires accurate record keeping of actions in the vineyards.  

Sustainability seal

The compliance of these records is now being independently audited every three years by a third party.  Given that this scheme has been running for 12 years, Birch said “producers are finding a reduction in input costs as natural predators return.” And, she said, most of the industry already complies with IPW.

As more information on sustainability comes into the knowledge sphere, “IPW is constantly evolving with new elements introduced” said Jo Wehring, the UK market manager of Wines of South Africa, adding “so it never really stands still. Measuring and reporting on carbon will be introduced in the next stage, then we can look at how to reduce it. And the ‘pass’ mark is increasing, in 2008 a pass was 55%, in 2009 it was 60% and this year it’s 65%.”

Whilst there are some biodiversity guidelines in the IPW accreditation, producers can achieve IPW conformance – and get the new sustainability seal – without being part of the biodiversity and wine initiative. This separate BWI scheme, which has operated since 2004, exists for more comprehensive biodiversity and conservation in the Cape winelands.

This is particularly important in South Africa because the Cape Floral Kingdom, a biodiversity hotspot, is the smallest and richest plant kingdom on the planet, achieving World Heritage Site recognition in 2004.  It accounts for just 0.5% of the area of Africa yet is home to 20% of the continent’s flora.  And this region is where virtually all of South Africa’s wine production originates, so linking the two makes good sense, especially as 80% of the Cape Floral Kingdom is privately owned.

BWI - bottom left

Birch said the BWI “came about because we grow our wine in a special environment.” The aim here is to put aside land within the Cape winelands for conservation and reversion to indigenous flora.

The BWI already has 113,000 hectares under conservation status on wine farms.  There are 101,000 hectares of vineyard in South Africa, so this is a better than 1:1 ratio.  The top tier of BWI members, fifteen BWI champions, including Paul Cluver, Delheim, Oak Valley and Vergelegen, have committed more than 10% of their farms to conservation. 

As well as the new sustainability seal, individual producer labels may have details of their BWI status as well, so checking wine bottles closely will reveal degrees of increasing sustainability.

 A combination of ripeness with retained, relatively high acidity are cited as the defining parameters of the 2009 in the main riesling regions of Mosel, Rheingau, Nahe, Pfalz and the Rheinhessen. This was defined as a year of long ripening and good structure. But volumes are down across the board.

 Some have said 2009 is as good as 2007. By comparison 2008 was not so warm, on average.  There is enough ripeness in 2008 but the acidity is crispier and more pronounced. The wines are perhaps less concentrated than the 2009s.

Fritz Hasselbach in the Rothenberg

Weingut Gunderloch is located at Nackenheim in the Rheinhessen and is run by Fritz and Agnes Hasselbach.   

Rheinhessen is the biggest German wine region, accounting for a quarter of the country’s vineyard, and it is the small, six kilometre by ~1 km Rheinterrasse, an east and south-east facing slope on the left bank of the river Rhine, some 10 km south of Mainz, where some of the best quality is found.

Nackenheimer Rothenberg, made up of red slate, is one of the prime vineyards on the Rheinterrasse, and Gunderloch own more than three quarters of this named vineyard, 9.5ha out of the property’s total vineyard acreage of 14 hectares.    

Other top vineyards on the Hessen Rheintarrasse include Pettenthal, Hipping, Ölberg and Orbel.

Riesling is one of a couple of handfuls of grape varieties grown in Rheinhessen, accounting for about 15% of the region’s production.  Yet at Gundlerloch, riesling is something of a specialty, accounting for 80% of production, with silvaner, pinot gris, pinot blanc and traminer among the rest.  

Fritz and Agnes Hasselbach have been running the family winery since 1986, and their children Kathrin, Johannes and Stefanie are also part of the team.

For dry wines, three levels are made at this estate:  the estate dry, the village dry, and grosses gewächs.  Fruity wines follow the normal designations.

In 2009, Gunderloch made no beerenauslese or trockenbeerenauslese because wild boars and birds ate all the grapes, despite the vines have protective netting over them.  The family lost a hectare of grapes. 

Rothenberg vineyard

Fritz is experimenting with malolactic fermentation on riesling, which is usually unheard of for this variety.  He said “malo gives more weight in the taste, which is a secret of Hessen”, adding “in the past the balance was from residual sugar, but in the new style the balance is with malo.”  Exacting control is essential though as malo can change pure fruity flavours into more creamy, less aromatic notes. He said they have strict temperature control, and they “check every day. As soon as we get a creamy note, we chill to kill the yeast and the malolactic bacteria.”

Read here for a review of the 2009 rieslings from Weingut Hermann Dönnhoff in the Nahe.

Read here for a review of the 2009 rieslings from JL Wolf in the Pfalz.

Tasting notes, in situ, April 2010

2009 Estate Riesling dry
12.5%. 8 g/l RS, 8g/l TA. A blend of 5 different vineyards sites, all with red slate.
Lemon grass, fresh, lifted, racy acidity, warmth of lemon citrus at finish.

2009 Nierstein Village Riesling dry
12.5%. 6g/l RS.   
Lemon grass, and gunsmoke, perceptibly off dry attack, with softness and richness in the mid palate added by small proportion of malolactic fermentation. Good length.

2009 Nackenheim Village Riesling dry,  
12.5%. Rothenberg single vineyard.
Lemongrass, citrus, melon, supple mid palate offered by small proportion of malolactic again. Nice limey element to acidity. Approachable yet young, with plenty to unfurl.

2009 Gunderloch Jean Baptiste Riesling Kabinett
11%.  24g/l RS. 7.5g/l TA. Usually a mix of Rothenberg and Pettenthal vineyards
Lemon citrus, off dry fruity attack, with near-dry palate perception. Apple, nice balance, with good fruit purity.  Refreshing, elegant, easily drinkable.

2009 Nackenheim Rothenberg Riesling Spatlese
9.5%. 90 g/l RS. 7.5g/l TA. Without botrytis, it is the Gunderloch philosophy.
Limey, sweet attack of fresh apricot and white peach. This comes back to racy, sharp balancing acidity.  Lush, intense, explosive citrus and early tropical fruits. Mouth-watering freshness, but with some intensity of svelte power. Long finish.

2009 Nackenheim Rothenberg Riesling Auslese
7.5%.  110g/l RS. 100% botrytis wine.
Citrus, intense, lime, explosive, pure, sweet, Massive flavours, pure and long.

2009 Nackenheim Rothenberg Riesling Auslese Goldkapsel
8%. 130-140g/l RS. Fritz said this is always in beerenauslese style, but an easy-drinking style.
Spicy aromatics, mango and yellow tropical, full and honeyed, elegant with well-toned power and presence.   Elegant and too easy to drink.   

The UK agents, ABS Wine Agencies, flew me, and a group of UK importers, to Germany to taste the 2009s from the producers they represent.

A combination of ripeness with retained, relatively high acidity are cited as the defining parameters of the 2009 in the main riesling regions of Mosel, Rheingau, Nahe, Pfalz and the Rheinhessen. This was defined as a year of long ripening and good structure. But volumes are down across the board.

Some have said 2009 is as good as 2007. By comparison 2008 was not so warm, on average.  There is enough ripeness in 2008 but the acidity is crispier and more pronounced. The wines are perhaps less concentrated than the 2009s.

JL Wolf estate

The Pfalz accounts for nearly a quarter of Germany’s total vineyard area. Coincidentally the region has a quarter of the country’s riesling plantings.

Most of the vineyards are in the foothills of the north-south orientated Haardt mountains, where they are more protected from the winds. These mountains are a geological continuation of the Vosges mountains which lie to the south, home to France’s Alsace vineyards.

At the JL Wolf estate, in Wachenheim, which is the property of Ernie Loosen, owner of the Mosel’s Dr. Loosen, an ‘entry’ range of wines is made under the varietal ‘Villa Wolf’ label. The fruit for these wines comes from growers contracted to the estate.

Above this range lie the estate wines under the label ‘JL Wolf’, which are labelled, in ascending order, (a) village name only, (b), village name plus vineyard name, and (c) just the vineyard name. This is JL Wolf’s personal following of a Burgundian nomenclature.  The back label contains all the legally-required German labelling.

The estate produces more than riesling, for example, pinot noir, pinot blanc and pinot gris, but just the riesling notes are below.

Read here for a review of the wines from Weingut Hermann Dönnhoff in the Nahe.

Read here for a review of the 2009 rieslings from Gunderloch in Rheinhessen.

Tasting notes, in situ, April 2010

2009 Villa Wolf Riesling dry
12.5%, 8g/l RS, ~6.8TA
Apple puree, green apple attack, tight, with a hint of lime zest. Refreshing, with good intensity, and some density of length.  

2009 JL Wolf Wachenheimer Riesling trocken
12.5%, 8g/l RS. Labelled with village name only
Firestone and apricots on the nose, some honeyed complexity; quite intense palate attack. Warm hint of aromatic spice, with attractive note of richness. Dense and flavoursome.  

2009 JL Wolf Wachenheimer Belz Riesling Spatlese trocken
8g/l RS.  Belz is a monopole of JL Wolf. Labelled with village and vineyard name.
Apple and honey nose, spritz. Savoury note to attack, rich.

2009 JL Wolf Forster Pechstein Riesling (spatlese trocken)
Labelled just with vineyard name – Pechstein – to denote single vineyard wine.
12.5 to 13%, 8g/l RS. Black basalt soil.
Apricot, firestone, yellow peach, steeliness, sweet-savoury dichotomy.  Intense, with big concentration, demands attention in the mouth. Delicious, with long, exotic-spice finish.   

The UK agents, ABS Wine Agencies, flew me, and a group of UK importers, to Germany to taste the 2009s from the producers they represent.

A combination of ripeness with retained, relatively high acidity are cited as the defining parameters of the 2009 in the main riesling regions of Mosel, Rheingau, Nahe, Pfalz and the Rheinhessen. This was defined as a year of long ripening and good structure. But volumes are down across the board.

Some have said 2009 is as good as 2007. By comparison 2008 was not so warm, on average.  There is enough ripeness in 2008 but the acidity is crispier and more pronounced. The wines are perhaps less concentrated than the 2009s.

See future posts for Riesling 2009 tasting notes from Gunderloch, Leitz, Dr. Loosen and JL Wolf.  

Weingut Hermann Dönnhoff is located in Oberhausen, in the Nahe.  

Hermannshöhle vineyard

The Nahe accounts for about 4% of the German vineyard area.  It is south of the Mosel, south of the Hunsrück mountains, which protect the Nahe valley from the winds.

Owner Helmut Dönnhoff described his style as “elegant, not too opulent, in between the Mosel and the Rheingau.  Mosel has higher acidity, ours are a bit riper with lower acidity.”

The estate is 120m ASL, and grapes can be grown up to about 350m, above which, Dönnhoff said, they don’t ripen.

About 65% of Dönnhoff’s 12.5 hectare production is for dry wine, the rest is in the Germanic fruity styles.

Riesling accounts for 80% of his production; the rest is pinot blanc and pinot gris.

Read here for a review of the 2009 rieslings from JL Wolf in the Pfalz.

Read here for a review of the 2009 rieslings from Gunderloch in Rheinhessen.

Tasting notes, in situ, April 2010.

Riesling trocken 2009 
(dry style) 11.5% 6.8g/l RS.
Citrus zest, perceptibly dry, with a hint of integral, defining taut/salty edge. Fresh, balanced weight and good length.

Tonschiefer Riesling Trocken 2009  
(dry style) 12%.  6-7g/l RS.
Spicy with good volume of tropical fruit and citrus pith. Nice freshness-richness balance. Pure, intense, balanced.

2009 Schlossböckelheimer Felsenberg
(dry style) 12.5%. 7g/l RS. Volcanic, porphyry – hard stone that keeps heat.
Slate, steel, pristine savouriness. Grapefruit zest, tight, linear. Serious, a bit intellectual. Complex and layered. Taut. Very good. Pristine and delicious.

Dellchen 2009 Riesling Grosses Gewächs
(dry style) 13%, 7.5% RS.  Slate, with volcanic soils
Allspice, star anise, apricot, intense, big, big wine. Rich and powerful with exquisite balance and intensity.

Felsenberg Felsenturmchen 2009 Riesling Grosses Gewächs
(dry style) 13%. volcanic soil Felsenturmchen meaning little tower
Firestone, tropical. Savoury, aromatic tar, lush and plush, strong, dry-rich, big and elegant at same time. Excellent.

Hermannshöhle 2009 Riesling Grosses Gewächs
(dry style) Rich, fat, tropical, open fruit attack, savoury firestone comes through on palate. Opulent and taut at the same time. Lush and lean, linear. Tightly wound. Aromatic tar. Long. Spectacular.

Riesling 2009
(fruity style) 11%. ~19 g/l RS.
Citrus, grapefruit nose, fresh and simply pure, with nervy acidity and good flavour depth; very easy to drink e.g. sitting in the garden of an early evening.  Pure pleasure.

Kreuznacher Krötenpfuhl 2009, Riesling Kabinett
(fruity style) 10%. 25-30g/l RS, ~8g/l TA. Quartz. Pebbles, meaning ‘pond frog’
White peach and nectarine, fresh, light and with nice intensity of fresh fruit, charming rather than complex at the moment, needs a bit of time to flesh up and complex.

Oberhäuser Leistenberg 2009, Riesling Kabinett
(fruity style) 9%. 35-40 g/l RS. 8g/l+ TA.~£20 slate soil. Comes from same site as Tonschieffer.  Leisten: dialect for slate. Slate hill.
Citrus and lime, sweet-lime attack, apple blossom, pure, high on easy deliciousness. Open and fruity, lots of flavour.  

Norheimer Kirschheck 2009, Riesling spätlese
(fruity style) 8.5%. ~60g/l RS.  ‘cherry hedge’. Slate soil.
Firestone and cinnamon-spiced apricots, some fullness of body with sweet fruit compote concentration. Precision acidity. Fruity lushness. Long.  Seductive sweetness and elegance.

Felsenberg 2009, Riesling spätlese
(fruity style) A selection from the GG Felsenturmchen. Volcanic soil. 
No analysis yet: probably about 8.5%, and about 70g/l RS.
Cask sample tasting: sweet apricot compote, honeyed, precision acidity. Elegant, light-intense.  Allspice silhouette. Very good. Long. Exquisite balance.

Oberhäuser Brücke 2009, Riesling spätlese
(fruity style) 8%  Slate under alluvial sediments, pebbles, sandstone.
‘Aromatic tar’ note; savoury firestone, apricot purée, dense, intense; big flavour expansion in the mouth. Stony, savoury notes diminish the perception of sweetness, lush, mouth-watering. Focused and expansive. Cracking balance. Opulent and fleshy, nervosity of acidity. Just lovely.

Niederhäuser Hermannshöhle 2009, Riesling spatlese
(fruity style) 8.5%
Lime and pink grapefruit nose, steely nose, and apricot.  Lush, almost tropical, with refined acid core and laser-precision, layers evolve in the mouth, sweet/steel balance. Very good.

Oberhauser Brucke 2009. riesling auslese goldkapsel
(fruity style) Cask sample tasting: lime and hint of mushroom-spice, complexing and structuring botrytis. Overtly sweet now, with defining acidity and freshness and balance.

Niederhäuser hermannshöhle 2009 riesling auslese goldkapsel
(fruity style) Apricot puree nose, aromatic spice, firestone, intense, dense, appears less overtly sweet, and with immense extract. Enormous wine, refreshing, allspice and star anise. Honeyed, and lush. Really very nice indeed.

The UK agents, ABS Wine Agencies, flew me, and a group of UK importers, to Germany to taste the 2009s from the producers they represent.

Sources: various national organisations, most recent data available

Oak is vital to support, enliven and fulfil the potential of some of the best quality white wines on the planet. 

Using oak to ferment and mature white wine is a much more complex matter than imparting chewy, obvious oaky flavours. It is only new oak that imparts the characteristic toasted, nutty, vanilla, sometimes aromatic tarry and charcoal notes to a wine. These overt flavours fade as a barrel is used over subsequent vintages, and after a few years, none of these notes appear in the wine.  The smaller the barrel, the bigger the oak influence, all to do with the ratio of wood to wine. French oak and American oak have different flavours, and all the wines here have been made using French oak.

Wines reviewed below

But oak doesn’t just provide flavour.  New and older oak enable an air exchange through the barrel, while the wine is maturing. The effect of this controlled air exchange is to soften the edges of a wine, makes it feel a little creamier on the tongue, a little rounder, maybe smoother, in texture. It changes the perception of dimension and shape in the mouth, think spheres rather than cubes, for example.

Good quality oak barrels are expensive, several hundred pounds sterling for one 225-litre barrel (300 bottles), so wine aged in high quality new oak is going to be more expensive than average. Cheaper options can be used – the staves that go to make up a barrel can be put loose into a stainless steel tank, as can ‘chips’ off cut during barrel making, but using barrels is generally regarded as the best option.

So using new oak is about flavour and texture, using older oak us about texture.  And it doesn’t end there. Certain grape varieties really don’t suit any sort of overt oak influence, notably riesling.  Some might argue sauvignon blanc too, but Bordeaux has long made great white blends from sauvignon blanc and semillon, especially in the Graves region, and there are one or two specialist cuvées of Sancerre and Pouilly-Fumé in the Loire.

Oak affinity all starts with chardonnay, and therefore Burgundy. Apart from some top Chablis, all the best white Burgundies are brought up in oak barrel. Chablis is where there is some sort of dividing line, with some producers favouring the steely, sometimes austere, white floral, mealy, yeasty-lees style of Chablis, and others preferring, often on premier and grand cru wines, maturation in barrel, creating a creamier, richer, fatter-textured, long-lived wine.

South of Burgundy, the southern Rhône, as well as Languedoc and Roussillon, are rich with white varieties that do well with oak.  They tend to have modest acidity, richer, fatter flavours to which a bit of oak influence can add some additional structure and note of complexity. The likes of viognier (especially in Northern Rhône’s Condrieu), plus marsanne and roussanne, often blended with less fashionable Mediterranean whites such as grenache blanc. Spiciness and dry honeyed notes can be found amid tropical fruits.

From the Mediterranean warmth to the maritime Atlantic, where the best Bordeaux whites are barrel aged.  Sauvignon blanc is blended with semillon, which, with its modest acidity and toasty tendencies, also has a positive affinity with oak.

A issue to address, using these examples, is when oak, even new, is used really well, how much of it can you really taste? Or does it become such a seamless and wholesome part of the wine that its individual taste is integrated into the whole palate experience, including fruitful aromas and flavours, structure and shape?

Vincent Girardin, Bourgogne blanc, Cuvée St Vincent 2007
£13.99  Laithwaites
Screwcap, 13%
A ‘basic’ Burgundy, so 100% chardonnay, with no new oak, but four fifths aged in 500-litre, 2-3 year old oak barrels, for 10 months. The other fifth was aged in stainless steel. Sweet wood-smoke and roasted nut aromas plunge from the glass. White flowers emerge on the palate along with soft-baked lemons in an upliftingly fresh style. This has the smooth ground-nutty texture and flavour so typical of white Burgundy.  The oak influence is gently aromatic, then textural, and the finish is lemon-fresh, which cleanses the palate for another sip.

Olivier Leflaive, Puligny-Montrachet Les Meix 2007
£28.99 Corney and Barrow 
Cork, 14%
A ‘posh’ Burgundy, from a vineyard owned by Olivier Leflaive. The posher appellation with higher quality fruit allows more oak to fully express the wine. It’s not a premier cru, though it is right next door to Premier Cru Les Pucelles. All the wine was fermented in oak, a quarter of which was new, and matured for 9 months. This has all the classic hallmarks of high quality Burgundian chardonnay, nothing to be called overtly oaky at all, just a gentle palate packed with ginger and allspice, meal and hazelnut flavour and intensity, wrapped in elegant concentration and with a very long finish.

Domaine Saint-Amant, La Tabardonne 2007 Côtes du Rhône Villages Blanc, Rhône
£11.99 Waitrose Wine Direct 
Cork, 13.5%
Made from 90% viognier with the remainder from roussanne, and made in French oak barrels averaging 2 years’ age, and matured in them for 12 months. The only flavour nod to oak is a gentle vanilla spice which melds completely with fruit perfumes of apricot, honeyed melon and sweet spice. The palate reflects the nose with the concentrated fruit aromatising and filling the mouth with a sweet volume of fruit. Nicely balanced with a rich core.

Château Doisy-Daëne Sec 2008 Bordeaux
£17.49 Waitrose Wine Direct 
Cork, 12.5%
Denis Dubourdieu is Bordeaux’s white wine making genius, and this is made 100% from sauvignon blanc. All of the wine was fermented in oak barrels, but just 20% of them were new. And the wine matured in barrel for 8 months. Piquant pink grapefruit exudes from the glass and zests up the palate, so this sauvignon blanc retains its fruit core freshness. The oak adds some attractive creamy complexity, depth and roundness of texture and just the faintest memory of lemon toast.

Domaine le Soula, Vin de Pays des Côtes Catalanes blanc 2007  
£19.51 A&B Vintners 
Cork, 14%
This property is part-owned by Gérard Gauby of Domaine Gauby in Roussillon fame. It’s made from a blend of the grapes that were already planted in the vineyard when it was bought, so as it contains sauvignon blanc, it cannot be called a Roussillon appellation wine, and defaults to a vin de pays. The other grapes include grenache blanc, marsanne, roussanne and macabeu. Bigger oak features here too, so less overt new oak influence.  The wine matured in 500-litre casks, of which 30% were new, for 15 months.  It tastes fresh and aromatic, with white flowers, and a creamy lemon toast sub-text which envelops the palate in a luxurious flood of warmth. Fresh almonds and cobnuts meld with complexing citrus and aromatic spice notes in a flavour profile that’s long in the mouth and even longer on the finish.

The Great Domaines of Burgundy, Remington Norman and Charles Taylor MW

This long-time, must-have reference book for the major properties in Burgundy has been wholly updated. The third edition has drawn on the expertise of Charles Taylor MW, an acknowledged expert on, and merchant of, domaine wines from Burgundy (and elsewhere).

Each village commune in the Côte d’Or, for this is on what the book concentrates, is given an introduction including a map charting the village, premier and grand cru plots. The grand crus, and their acreage, are listed. All this brings to life the small scale of top Burgundy production. Chambolle-Musigny has just 176 hectares (ha) of vines, of which 24 ha are grand cru. Puligny-Montrachet has 229 ha including 21ha of grand cru. Bordeaux’s Château Lafite alone is 100 ha, yet 71 vignerons share the Puligny land, giving an average holding of a microscopic 3.2 ha. Thus the necessary minutiae of detail required to gain a sensible understanding of domaine Burgundy is all in this book.

The reader can build up a picture of broad stylistic differences between communes – Gevrey-Chambertin’s power and muscle, Chambolle-Musigny’s finesse and elegance, or Vosne-Romanée’s silkiness and opulence, though stylistic differences between producers are oft-cited as equally important. 

The neat, producer by producer, layout has changed little since the 1996 second edition. The number of producers discussed has grown by fifteen, but this includes thirty-nine new entries, as others have dropped out. Newcomers include Fourrier (Gevrey-Chambertin), Louis Boillot (Chambolle-Musigny), and Michel Niellon (Chassagne-Montrachet).

Given that some domaines appear to have similar names, it is good that at least some of the intricacies of familial lineage can be unravelled by careful reading, although a few diagrammatic extended family trees would have fitted in well here. Marrying into the family of neighbouring vignerons seems far from rare. 

In addition to these two elements, about 15% of the book is devoted to issues of making wine in Burgundy, such as soil, climate, the use of oak, organics/biodynamics, as well as the two grape protagonists which sit diametrically opposite each other: adaptable, forgiving chardonnay versus intolerant, slightly OCD pinot noir. These ‘essays’ are rich with examples that illustrate changing practices and fascination for the continued mystery of some aspects of terroir. Vignettes of intimate observations by passionate growers detail the intricacy of Burgundian viticulture. They reveal insights that may both develop and frustrate the reader’s grip of knowledge of this region, but it’s certainly not a book to be missing from the Burgundy lover’s bookcase.

Riesling in the Mosel

The riesling renaissance has been repeatedly raised in trade and consumer press but appears never really to materialise among mainstream consumers. So riesling appreciation remains the best open secret among oenophiles. With less than 1% of the global vineyard planted to riesling, it’s unlikely ever to be much more than a specialist wine.

Part of the challenge has been thought to be the diversity of dryness in the wine, from bone dry to lusciously sweet. But chardonnay can come like this too.

Possibly more of the challenge is that riesling is very site specific, it doesn’t necessarily always need the poshest accommodation, but it is quite temperature-sensitive, not too keen on heating or air-con, it prefers pretty stony beds. Whereas chardonnay will bunk down almost anywhere and make a decent fist of it. 

The panel
Bob Campbell MW, journalist, educator, photographer, New Zealand
Monika Christmann, head of oenology and wine technology, Geisenheim Research Centre
Roman Horvath MW, managing director, Domäne Wachau, Austria
Rowald Hepp, managing director, Schloss Vollrads, Germany
Willi Klinger, managing director, Austrian Wine Marketing Bureau
Arne Ronold MW, journalist, publisher, Norway
Josef Schuller MW, chairman, Institute of Masters of Wine

Hepp explained the difficulty for the early riesling diaspora from its Germanic roots, saying “emigrants from Germany took riesling with them when they left in the crisis of the 1920s. They were a bit disappointed with the styles in California and Australia – it was not the style they were used to.”

But he added, after decreasing riesling acreage in the 1970s, riesling is in expansionist mode again, albeit modestly.

Approximate global riesling plantings 

Sources: various national organisations, most recent data available

Wachau vineyards, Austria

Christmann took up the site specificity theme, suggesting riesling is adapted to both single vineyard and multi-vineyard blend, saying “you can produce great wines from single vineyards and sometimes you can produce better wines by blending. We have super vineyards, but not all are so super that we can say that these produce the best wines every year.  You can choose to make a blend coming from very good base wines.”

Should the style of wine come from the vineyard or the winery? Christmann said “as a producer it’s your baby you have to sell. What style do you want to achieve?” Before adding “riesling is one of the most sensitive varieties when it comes to processing techniques to avoid uptake of polyphenols.” So only great care in the winery will express whatever potential might be building in the vineyard.

Residual sugar was inevitably an issue.  A stylistic choice definitely, but can absence of residual sugar mask varietal character?  Hepp thought so, speaking of his two wines (see below) “the first one has more terroir and mineral expression, the [spatlese] has more varietal expression.” 

Noble rot in dry wines is another masker of varietal definition.  But Christmann said “there are different answers to [whether] it is important to have some botrytis in riesling. In our experiments, most people wanted to have up to 20% botrytis in the wines.”  To which Ronold countered “to my mind that could be so for interim rieslings, those not showing much terroir character. But for top rieslings from specific terroirs, then botrytis is a no-no, you want to keep what is unique with your vineyard.”  

Rowald said “maybe botrytis can add complexity but not necessarily terroir expression. Botrytis makes it more difficult to keep single vineyard expression. Botrytis makes wines a bit more even.”  But, he added “for noble sweet wines botrytis is a must. But we talk more of concentration than terroir.”    

Nelson, New Zealand

With typical new world succinctness Campbell said “botrytis obscures terroir.  At high levels it will also obscure varietal character.”

Campbell took up the new world side of the globetrotting discussion, pointing to New Zealand’s early attempts with the variety, saying “riesling was introduced into New Zealand in the early 1800s but it died out because of phylloxera. It was re-introduced in the 1970s, when it moved to South Island, where it’s more suited.”    

“In South Island the cool climate equals high acidity. The best wines carry a little residual sugar to build up the tension between sweetness and fine acidity, which for me is what fine riesling is all about. But consumers have not embraced sweet riesling with as much vigour as producers would like.”

In Australia, Campbell said “riesling was Australia’s most widely planted white variety until the early 1990s, when chardonnay took over.” He added plantings were more driven by climate, so focusing on the cooler areas of Tasmania, and the Great Southern Area in Western Australia. But it is Clare Valley in South Australia that has made the biggest name for itself, producing usually bone dry, edgy, angular, tight rieslings with more than a savoury nod to location. 

Back in Europe, and more than 80% of Austria’s riesling is concentrated in the Lower Danube areas of Wachau, Kamptal, Kremstal and Traisental. There are two broad soil types in this area – loess and primary rock (internal link). Horvath explained “riesling from loess soil is more creamy, more textured, more expressive in youth. Riesling from primary rock gives more leaner styles.”

In the wines selected for the seminar a mix of origin and varietal definition could be identified, although the wines were not shown blind. Which suggests the experience of riesling as an independent traveller rang truest, seeking out those special places, and often staying off the beaten track. And remaining true to itself. Horvath said “riesling is a globetrotter, but not as a mass tourist. Riesling adapts to local culture, it experiences the local specialities. In this sense riesling is a globetrotter. But with some experience you can tell the origin, so riesling is both a globetrotter and a terroir wine.”

Tasting notes. Vienna, May 2010, and comments from the panel

Schloss Vollrads Erstes Gewachs Riesling 2008, Rheingau, Germany
Hepp:  “from our best vineyards sites, over 8 months on fine lees. Represents dry, mineral, flinty style.  2008 had masculine acidity; low pH level.”  
Honeyed, apple and white pear, intense nose and palate attack, smooth and big expansion of flavour in the mouth. Concentrated palate, citrus, honeysuckle aromatics, with stony notes mid palate. Layers of flavour emerging in a sophisticated style. Long

Schloss Vollrads Riesling spatlese 2009, Rheingau, Germany
Hepp: “the other face of riesling. I love to show both faces. Late harvest, picked 2.5 to 3 weeks after the first one. This style also very traditional, it was the classic riesling a hundres years ago. Sweet style intensifies the fruit flavours of riesling.” 
Honey and a bit steely. Just 8%. Honeyed, lush bruised apple, quince, tropical notes. Very pure, focused fruit, with lush, attractive balance. Sweet and finishes very fresh. Delicious and delicately balanced.

Egon Müller, Riesling Spatlese 2008, Mosel, Germany  
Apple, steely, aromatic, citrus, peachy, zingy.  Precise, intense, racy, light and densely intense, textured. An ‘other worldly’ experience, ethereal lightness of being with massive flavour for a ‘light’ wine. Really don’t feel the sweetness, acidity holds it all together beautifully with a fresh finish.

FA/FH Geisenheim Classic ‘von Lade’ Riesling 2009, Rheingau, Germany
Christmann: “Produced at the research centre. A blend of the best vineyards we have, with the right time of picking, and gentle processing.”
Peachy, steely and tropical, medium body, savoury type of acidity, firm backbone, fully dry, hint herbal twist to mid palate. Strong and muscular r style.  Long.

Grosset, Polish Hill Riesling 2009, Clare Valley
13%, dry. 460M ASL, sandy soil
Galvanised steel, edgy and taut. Savoury and edgy, linear and long. Not so much primary fruit flavour here. All in that taut, gritty-steel spectrum.

Villa Maria, Taylors Riesling 2005, Marlborough
Single vineyard in cooler Awatere Valley. 8.5%, 43g/l RS. pH 2.8.
Bruised apple, sweet attack, racy and edgy, angular acid, citrus, attractive layers of fruit. Lacks the sophistication of the German example above (probably also lacks the cost). Attractive, but not over exciting.

Zind-Humbrecht Riesling Rangen 2007, Alsace
Ronold: “Most southerly and highest altitude (350 to 450m) grand cru in Alsace, with southern exposure.”  13.5%.  2g/l RS (unusually dry for a Zind-Humbrecht wine.) Volcanic sediments.
Big, smoky, stony dry savoury nose, with peaches and nectarine fruit following in the wake of steely upright flavours. Linear, medium-bodied, with remarkable strength and muscularity. Not so much overt primary fruit, more in the stony, steely, aromatic smoky spectrum. 

Trimbach Riesling Cuvée Frédéric Emile 2004, Alsace
Grapes from two grand crus Gaisberg and Osterberg, 12.8%, 8.2g/l TA
More overtly primary fruit nose, peach, apricot, citrus, more lifted and perfumed, floral. Intense palate attack, but gentle, somehow, despite ripe, rich acidity core. Fruit flesh adorns the backbone with some succulence, but dry. Smooth, sophisticated, intellectual. Precision-focus to be envied.

Brandl Riesling Heiligenstein 2000, Kamptal
12.7%, 1.5g/l RS. Primary rock covered by volcanic sediments.
Peach, tropical, with stony substance alongside. Medium weight, with dense volume of fruit/savoury combo.  Structured and  muscular. Very little age showing, freshness in savoury lines, precise. Remarkable youth.

Franz Proidl Riesling von Urgestein Senftenberger Ehrenfels 2007, Niederosterreich
13.5%, 2.8 g/ RS. Steep terraces, primary rock.
Aromatic peachy, overt primary fruitiness to the fore, smooth and succulent, with layers of aromatic spice and peachy tropical fruit. Steeliness alongside.  Nice balance and intensity. Ripeness of fruit. Lovely layers of fruit/savoury. Long finish

Domäne Wachau Riesling Achleiten 2009, Wachau
Horvath: “Achleiten is about minerality. Not so much about primary fruit. Smoky aromas, toastiness, fleshy flavours balanced by firm acidity.” 
Fresh, juicy, immediately appealing but so young; and fruity. Density and complexity is portended by rich concentration of dramatic fruit.

Domäne Wachau Riesling Achtleiten 1999, Wachau
Horvath: “this is not about peachy, it’s about smoky mineral character.”
Just a hint of development of colour to pale straw. Hints of petrol, with mango purée coming quickly to the fore. Rich, almost dry baked fruit, some crystallised fruit, youthful and expressive, aged notes notwithstanding. Intense flavour, layers of complexity.

Minerality in wine is one of the trendiest tasting terms of our times. Science is establishing that it does exist, at least sensorially, but identifying potential responsible compounds or complex of compounds working in combination, and that can be chemically analysed, remains elusive at best.

No minerality directly from rock

Professor Alex Maltman of the Institute of Geography and Earth Sciences at the University of Wales, Aberystwyth explained: firstly “there is a whole series of complicated ways in which the parent geological minerals decay to yield nutrient minerals”, and “for roots to pick up nutrient minerals, such as potassium and calcium, these elements have to get into solution. Then there is a whole series of complicated ways of those elements getting into the vine roots – a complicated series of distancing reactions between geological minerals and getting nutrients into the vine.

No route from root to wine

“When you start making wine, yeast takes some of those nutrients from the fermenting must, making the connection between mineral nutrients and geological minerals even more remote and complicated.”  He added “whatever minerality is, it is not these elements that ultimately came from the vineyard. They’re last in all the things that give wine its flavour.”

With minerals comprising just 0.2% of wine, Maltman said you cannot taste the minerals, especially with all the organic compounds that do give wine its flavour.  

Semantic confusion

Though, Maltman explained, “I’m not saying the taste attribute doesn’t exist in wine. But it’s given the label that gives a connotation of origin, of coming from vineyard. People used to talk of austere, lean, steely, even. As soon as people say minerality, people assume minerals are in the wine.“

To geologists minerals are complex compounds – collections of minerals/elements bonded together, such as feldspar. To nutritionists minerals are single elements – zinc, calcium, potassium.  To wine people minerality seems to elicit a direct causal link with vineyard rocks despite this being an untenable thesis.  All of which creates confusion: of description, of accuracy, of communication.  This is not to say that soil, geology, drainage and water holding capacity are not important influences on the flavour of wine.

Mosel slate

Which leads us back to minerality by association: this is Mosel riesling therefore I’m tasting slate’ or ‘this is Sancerre therefore I’m tasting gunflint’.  Minerality has relatively quickly become a literal and emotive ‘beam-me-up Scotty’ of rocky allusions which create vinous illusions.

Winemakers’ words

Even winemakers worry for words when trying to explain the ‘minerality’ in their own wines. The ‘reductive’ sulphide connection is often mentioned, as well as other perceptions – a palate texture, tension, tautness, a tingle on the tongue, a cleanness, purity and freshness, an integrative feeling.

Dr. Tony Jordan, of global consultancy Oenotec, said minerality is a “taste sensation. People have talked the talk in the last ten years. It’s one of the buzz words, everything has to have minerality. I tend to associate it with wines that have a finer, tighter, long flavour spine, good spice,  that have a distinct play of acid in the balance; occasionally an effect of sulphide, and may even be other chemistry in the wine, both organic and inorganic components.”  

This relationship with acidity is a common thread. Martin Aurich, general manager of Weingut Unterortl in Italy’s Alto Adige said: “minerality is a certain amount of acid, acid which is not sour; a positive acid which requires another sip. It’s like a game in your mouth – acid, tannin, sugar.”

Bevan Johnson, managing director of family winery Newton Johnson in South Africa described minerality as “the poise of the finish. It brings a freshness from the mid palate to the finish; a freshness that’s not just acidity. A harmonious finish that’s fresh.”

Pfalz basalt

And Ernie Loosen, of the Mosel’s Dr. Loosen, was emphatic, saying “minerality always has something to do with acidity. Acidity expresses minerality, just as sweetness brings out aroma structure in our wines; as alcohol carries the aroma. A wine without acidity doesn’t show minerality as strongly as wine with the right amount of acidity.”  

At Loosen’s JL Wolf estate in the Pfalz, when they taste the wines blind “with its black basalt soil the Pechstein is the most mineral driven. It is more grippy, with a stony edge.  The Ungeheuer, with its loamy, weathered sandstone soil, is softer even with the same analytical acidity. Minerality is the acidity and soil together. At the end of the day you can only describe minerality by tasting it.”

Cooler climate

If the acidity thesis gains ground, must minerality be a cooler climate phenomenon?  Loosen said he saw less minerality in the hot 2003 than the classic 2007 German vintage.

Climate change specialist Professor Gregory Jones, of the geography department at Southern Oregon University, agreed, saying “grapes grown in cool climates tend to express themselves differently than those grown in warmer climates. Also, cool climate wines are much more likely to be single variety wines than the blends we find in warmer climates. Single variety wines grown at or near their cool climate margin will always show more finesse and character than those grown in warmer climates. A good example is chardonnay, which is grown in cool to fairly warm climates. In a warmer climate there is less finesse and more need for oak to bring out other characteristics. Also a good test is to try the chardonnays grown in the same region in a cool versus a warm vintage … the warm vintage will lack the supposed ‘minerality’ and finesse. So climate does play a role.”

Priorat schist

But what about places such as Priorat, where notes of minerality/graphite are commonly reported in the wines?  This is a warm to hot Mediterranean climate where big, alcoholic, blended reds are made. In his inimitable style, Alvaro Palacios of his eponymous Priorat property said “minerality is exactly as you see in the slate or granite soils. There are huge levels of minerals and metals. When you lick them you can feel that. Vegetal tannins are normally very fat, and mild, gentle, soft. Minerality is different; something tiny and vertical that dries out, micro particles.”

Over at Celler de Capçanes, in neighbouring Montsant, winemaker Jürgen Wagner upheld the acidity paradigm, saying “minerality adds some astringency. It gives a feeling of a higher level of acidity. It is a certain saltiness, the graphite of lead pencil for me means nerviness, liveliness, even astringency.”  

Scientific speculation

All of which means we are left with supposition and suggestion.  Jones suspects “there are chemical pathways via fruit to wine transformation that create aroma/flavour components that spark sensual characteristics that lead us to our cues of certain, remembered qualities.”

Maltman makes it clear he doesn’t know “what minerality is actually due to. I think acidity in wine is relatively well understood so I’m not sure it’s primarily that; my guess would be some combination of organic compounds (secondary metabolites), possibly, as has been suggested, involving sulphur” adding “complex organic molecules could be influencing minerals, promoting some, and buffering others. The effect could be important. I’m saying you cannot taste vineyard minerals. But these tiny amounts could have a chemical role. “

But we are left with more than poetic allegory. Jean Trimbach, of Maison Trimbach in the Alsace, said: “It is there. It exists. It’s the philosophical part of the wine; the most intellectual part of the wine, which has yet to be better analysed, and quantified.”  

Wine needs the scientists to get a hurry-on, so we can use the term correctly and consistently as a meaningful communicator of wine quality, composition and style.

But what about using a small proportion of ‘good botrytis’ in dry white wines, notably riesling but not restricted to this variety? So-called ‘good botrytis’ because it is the same mould as that which causes grey rot/bunch rot/bad botrytis, where infected grapes must be thrown away because they give a rotten fruit taste to wine.

Bunch with healthy grapes and botrytis-affected grapes

There are two schools of thought on this issue, which Roman Horvath MW, the managing director of Domäne Wachau outlined for the Wachau region of Austria, saying some producers, such as “Franz Hirtzberger work with botrytis. I call them the masters of botrytis. There has to be a very exact picking time, almost with half-day precision. And with even more picking passes through the vineyard. Others, such as Rudi Pichler, focus on elegance, minerals, purity and precision. We are more on the side of Rudi Pichler and Alzinger.”

Indeed for the 2009 vintage Mathias Hirtzberger of Weingut Franz Hirtzberger said “usually we use 5 to 10% botrytis. These are wines for 10 years’ ageing, and our smaragds will age for much more. The wines have a lot of alcohol, acid and sugar as we aim to harvest the grapes very ripe.  It’s always about the taste.”

Such use of ‘good’ or ‘dry’ botrytis usually results in wines of higher alcohol, 14 to 14.5%, rather than 13 to 13.5%. The wines are more concentrated, with greater weight, though not necessarily with more residual sweetness to them, as this is likely to have been fermented out. Lucas Pichler, the winemaker at Weingut F.X. Pichler explained further, saying with good botrytis you get “more deepness, more extract, especially for riesling. It’s not so important for grüner veltliner because you lose a bit of the pepperiness of grüner veltliner.”

It’s this potential masking effect that deters other producers. Leo Alzinger of Weingut Alzinger explained “we use dry botrytis as little as possible. The wines are more focused without botrytis. They are more reflective of their terroir. Wines start to age after one year with botrytis. And with more botrytis there is more alcohol, plus aromas which cover the terroir.” 

Cleanliness of fruit and precision of focus are important drivers for ‘no-botrytis’ proponents. Also in the Wachau, Peter Veyder-Malberg of Weingut Veyder-Malberg said “botrytis destroys the character of the grapes and the character of vineyard.  With riesling, when I see bunches start with botrytis, I cut the whole bunch and make the wine, leaving other [completely healthy] bunches on the vine. Three weeks later I can harvest sound bunches. But it means I harvest quite early.”  He added “I tell my workers to select each berry which they would choose not to eat and throw it away.” 

Wachau vineyards close to river Danube

The ‘to B or not to B’ question appears most pertinent for the Wachau, at the western, coolest extreme of Danubian viticulture in Austria, where the vineyards are close to the river and botrytis is more likely to creep into the vines at the end of the growing season.  Horvath said “botrytis is part of the microclimate here [Wachau] in October. You can’t avoid it.”

Almost next door to the Wachau, in Kamptal, where the vineyards are a little bit further from the mist-creating river, said Willi Bründlmayer, of Weingut Bründlmayer, “Kamptal has a tradition to work without botrytis.”  Though he’s not dogmatic on the question, adding “In 2001 we harvested with botrytis because it was a high acid year and the botrytis softened it out to balance the wine. Normally it’s not our style [to use botrytis]. I like straightforward, clean grapes.”

Bründlmayer also believes botrytis masks terroir effects saying “It should taste like riesling, like Heiligenstein, like the vintage.  Botrytis gives complexity, makes you a winner in a blind tasting, but if you want to drink the wines, then you need no botrytis.” 

Fellow Kamptal vintner Weingut Hiedler has moved away from this winemaking style. Maria Angeles Castellanos-Hiedler said “we used to use dry botrytis. In the last five years we’ve refined the winemaking and now try to have as little as possible. We like to have clear wines.  The botrytis means the wine is not ‘quiet’, it tastes very spicy. We want clear and clean tastes.”

This theme was picked up by Johannes Hirsch of Weingut Hirsch, who said “botrytis lays over the terroir, it hides typicity”, adding “petrol notes come earlier with botrytis.”

The subject came up at a May 2010 Global Riesling tasting in Vienna, hosted by the Institute of Masters of Wine. Rowald Hepp, managing director of Schloss Vollrads in the Rheingau region of Germany, said “botrytis can add complexity in dry riesling, but makes it more difficult to keep single vineyard expression. Terroir and botrytis is a tricky pairing. We avoid it in our dry wines.”

Ultimately the use of dry botrytis is just one winemaking option with a resulting style outcome. If the complexity imparted by botrytis adds layers of interest, dimension and texture to a wine that the drinker enjoys, it doesn’t matter if terroir or even varietal character is obscured. Some would argue terroir obscures varietal character. It depends on what the winemaker wants to achieve.

If the wine is tasty, job done, with or without botrytis.

Vineyards above Ürzig

The road is scheduled to emerge from a tunnel through the mountainside of the Ürziger Würzgarten vineyards, cross the river Mosel on a 160-metre high bridge. It will then continue above the vineyards of Zeltingen-Rachtig, Wehlen, Graach and Bernkastel.

A long-running, and lengthening campaign to stop the bridge is still in the ascendency, even though work on the spur road has started and politicians seem determined to push ahead. Big hitters in the UK press, such as Hugh Johnson and Jancis Robinson (on her site search: ‘Mosel bridge’) long ago hefted the weight of their columns against those of the proposed bridge.

Local Ürzig resident, sound artist and campaigner, Sarah Washington, emphasised it is not (yet) too late to halt the works, even though the official deadline to petition has now passed. Via the website www.stop-the-bridge.org, she still urges people to sign the petition.

She said she is also devising postcards which people can use to petition the authorities, possibly hard copy and ‘e’-copy versions. She said the more people who add their individual weight to the campaign may yet force politicians to reach a point where they will have to reconsider.

Catch up on the latest via vanguard campaigner and Mosel producer Dr. Loosen’s blog, including how to sign the petition on www.stop-the-bridge-org.

Dr. Loosen neck collar

In the UK, Dr. Loosen has garnered the support of many supermarkets and merchants which list his wines. Look out for neck collars outlining the issue and garnering support for the anti-bridge campaign on bottles of Dr L Riesling 2009 from Asda, Booths, Majestic, Oddbins and Sainsbury’s.

The neck collars are also on bottles of Villa Loosen Riesling 2009 from Avery’s, Bernkasteler Badstube Riesling Kabinett from Majestic, Graacher Himmelreich Kabinett 2009 from Sainsbury’s, Ernst Loosen Schieferberg Riesling 2009 from the Sunday Times Wine Club, and Ürziger Würzgarten Kabinett from Waitrose.

Producers are also concerned for the long term situation of their vineyards. The natural water distribution will be modified by the changing structure of land use. Rainfall-collecting forests above the vineyards are already being removed for the construction works. It is not known how deforestation combined with a concreting of the surface will affect run-off and water-absorption and retention. Keeping enough spring rainfall in the soil to last throughout the growing season is fundamental in a region that is not allowed to irrigate. Already the frequency of dry years has increased in the last decade.

Such a bridge may well have been useful in the cold war era of its original concept and design, in order to bring USA troops rapidly from their military bases in the west to potentially threatened eastern borders. But now the four-lane bridge will cross the valley and immediately link to the current road, a simple two-lane (one each way) road. Washington said that to construct the dual-carriageway any further eastwards would require a new proposal plus a generation of planning. In today’s geopolitical climate neither the bridge nor any onward infrastructure are thought to be necessary.

For this series we’ve divvied up reds into full-bodied, medium-bodied and light-bodied because they each give very different flavour and texture sensations.  As emerging spring is only a distant dream, we’re starting with full-bodied reds which we hope will give you a warming, nourishing glow in the frosty winter, as weightier reds are best accompanied by some serious hearty casseroles and other rich comfort food.

So what makes a red wine heavy, weighty, full-bodied? Firstly, certain grape varieties produce more full bodied wines by their very nature.  Powerful reds come from the likes of grenache, syrah and mourvèdre (think of the ‘GSM’ blends that Australia does so well). Secondly, warm to hot climates create weight in reds.  Lots of sunshine makes lots of sugar in grapes, and the plentiful alcohol that this turns in to during fermentation adds weight and body to a wine. But the grape variety and the warmth need to be matched. If delicate, cool climate loving pinot noir is grown in a hot climate all the aromatics are blown off and varietally-indistinct, meaty ‘red wine’ is the best to be hoped for.

Wines reviewed below

It’s not so simple as there’s some crossover when a really warm vintage, in an otherwise cooler region, occurs.  So 2003 and 2005 will have resulted in some full-bodied Bordeaux wine, which is normally medium-bodied.  Similarly in a cooler vintage some Bordeaux could become quite light-weight.

Thus in France, the best places for full-bodied reds are the warmer Mediterranean regions.  Add to this the unique appellations of south-west France, which each have their own specialty grape variety, such as meaty malbec in Cahors and tannic tannat in Madiran. The classic cassoulet and confit duck of South West France are the most marvellous accompaniments for the local wines, which have the tannin and acidity to cut through the fat of the local fare, leaving the mouth refreshed, and undoubtedly aiding digestion!

To complicate the picture further, winemaking can influence style and weight.  Beefy, full-bodied styles of wine can be made from traditionally medium-bodied wines or grape varieties.

The strong grape varieties that result in full-bodied wines are generally high in tannin, and often in acidity too. And strong grape varieties can support and absorb a lot of oak, and if that oak is new it will add extra tannin and thus fullness to the wine.

With all that sugar from the warm climate, high alcohol is a by-product. In the good examples, it will be balanced with succulent fruit and rich, ripe tannins.  In poor examples, the alcohol may burn in a sensation of heat right at the back of the palate.   

The wine’s texture and mouthfeel has much to do with the ability to carry alcohol and the integration of any oak used. Too much chewy, new oak accentuates high alcohol and can make it challenging, chunky winter casserole or not.

The warm, Mediterranean southern Rhône valley is chokka with both full and medium-bodied wines, according to specific location, the blends of grape varieties, winemaking and vintage. Here, and throughout the Languedoc and Roussillon, is the heartland of grenache and syrah, with bits of carignan.  Add mourvèdre in the Languedoc and stretching east to its apogee in Bandol, plus those local specialities in the southwest to get pretty decent coverage of full-bodied styles. 

Fruit flavours will vary, but are likely to include anything from strawberries to dark, rumtopf-influenced blackberries, loganberries and mulberries. Warmth and richness are on the agenda, as is mouth-filling volume of fruit and spicy notes. Expect full-bodied wines to have quasi-physical weight on the tongue, and to take up the whole volume of space in the palate. Full-body, not skinny-body.

Sensitivity to, and appreciation of, high alcohol – in the context of full-bodied French wines, 13.5% to 14.5% -  vary with the individual, but expect anything from a gentle seeping of wet warmth across the tongue, to a spicy, piquant heat rising as imagined steam right at the back of the tongue, and into the aftertaste.

Integrating the alcohol is one of the crucial things for full-bodied wines. With dense, rich, palate-enveloping fruit, and sufficient defining acidity, this is no problem.

Château Montus 2005, Madiran
£19.30 Four Walls Wine Company  
Cork, 14.5%
Owned by Madiran-maestro Alain Brumont, this one is a blend of 80% local tannat grape, ‘softened’ out a little with 20% cabernet sauvignon. The beef steak and stewed black berry nose is complexed by notes of allspice and cinnamon. Ripe berry fruits adorn the still youthful, very fine-grained tannin framework. On this, well-toned, structural muscles provide the gently chewy backbone for intense flavours of black tea, black berries, plus layers of leather and rich spices. The alc is supremely well harmonised into this fully substantial wine with lingering finish.   
 
Domaine la Bouïssiere, Gigondas, 2007                               
£18.95, Lea and Sandeman
Cork, 14.5%
Sweet-baked red berry fruit on the nose, with hints of dried orange slices pierced with cloves. Lush, smooth palate entry, sweetly spiced, youthful, red and black forest berries. Big structured wine beguiled by silky smooth tannins and sweetly aromatic spices. The full body has the warmth of well integrated alcohol surreptitiously peeping through at the end after a long finish. Made with two-thirds grenache, with most of the rest being syrah as well a muscley morcel of mourvèdre.

Domaine Le Galantin Bandol AC, 2004                 
£12.90  Tanners
Cork, 14.5%
This one made from 100% mourvèdre, that dark, inky, brooding variety.  It has a lifted blackcurrant and wild strawberry nose, enticingly aromatic and perfumed for such a full bodied wine, with a tarry, leathery note of complexity. The fresh red berry attack is followed by subtle richness with a tarry backbone softening into the flesh of fruit after 18 months in barrel and three and half years in bottle. The smoothness of texture and fineness of the tannins absorb the alcohol extremely well.

JL Chave Séléction, Mon Cœur Côtes du Rhône, 2006                     
£11.50 The Wine Society
Cork, 14%
Jean-Louis Chave is owner of a prestigious Rhône estate, and for his ‘Séléction’ wines, he buys in young wines on which his attention and skills are bestowed. This wine has an intriguing combination of violet perfume and fresh beef nose. Its smooth attack of dark-berried forest fruits: blueberry, mulberry, loganberry, with a sweet fruit core surround a rich palate texture of creamy aromatic spice. This modern expression of the Rhône is rich, lush – in a dry manner – and forward, focusing on fruit rather than savoury, smoky characters.
 
Vignobles Diffonty, Cuvée du Vatican Réserve Sixtine, Châteauneuf-du-Pape 2007
£25.00  Laithwaites 
Cork, 15.5%
Châteauneuf-du-Pape is the archetypal full-bodied French wine. This one blends 50% grenache with 30% syrah and 20% mourvèdre, and exhibits a rich rumtoph spiciness with fresh red berry medley.  It has a smooth texture and the alcohol, even at 15.5%, is nicely warming without interfering. Aromatic spices, and sweet, almost overripe berry fruits combine with notes of tarry smokiness. Rich fruit, supple tannins and layered sweet and savoury flavours, express this modern wine.

Austrian vineyards

Whilst quality was evidently high, volumes in the adjoining Danube regions of Wachau, Kremstal, Kamptal and Traisenthal were down about 30% in the two key varietals – grüner veltliner  and riesling.  Indeed Mathias Hirtzberger of Weingut Franz Hirtzberger said “we had only 40% of our normal riesling harvest for Singerriedel [vineyard site], and we’ve sold out”.

Roman Horvath MW, the managing director of Domäne Wachau said “2009 was a great vintage in Wachau and the neighbouring regions. We had strong rainfall at end of September which caused a ‘bad’ botrytis infection. But as the most western wine region, the grapes here were not as soft as elsewhere, so we did not have such a big loss. We had more time to work in the vineyard.”

Also in the Wachau, Leo Alzinger of Weingut Alzinger added “2009 was not easy because of the rainfall in mid-September. Both good and bad botrytis started, and we had to select out the good from the bad.”  This took some effort. Where they normally harvest 60kg/hour, in 2009 Alzinger harvested at a rate of just 5kg/hour. But Alzinger said “it’s very good quality.” As you’d hope after all that effort.

Horvath added “it’s a very balanced year, and more concentrated than 2008. If people worked well in vineyard, there is a pure, precise fruit expression.”  This theme was picked up by Maria Angeles Castellanos-Hiedler of Weingut Hiedler in the Kamptal who said the vintage showed great “purity and juiciness of fruit. There was no botrytis in 2009. There was lots of sunlight, giving pure fruits and fine minerality.”

Wachau vineyards

That rain at flowering was an issue, reducing the crop. Hiedler continued “the wind and rain began at the end of May, beginning of June. It was bad for quantity, but good for quality because [the poor flower fertilisation] resulted in loose bunches which then concentrated their fruit flavours.”

Fellow Kamptal vintner Johannes Hirsch of Weingut Hirsch picked up the rainy theme, but added “2009 finished with super healthy fruit in mid-October, which is normal. We never had so perfect riesling, and the grüner veltliners are fine and minerally. We didn’t expect this after the rainiest June in 200 years.”

On the opposite side of the Danube from Kamptal, Markus Huber of Weingut Huber in Traisental said “2009 was one of the best vintages in the last ten years. A cool growing season with low yields resulted in concentrated grapes. Physiological ripeness was quite late and there is enough acidity to balance the richness.”  

Kamptal vineyards

A little further east along the Danube, heading towards Vienna lies Wagram, less completely focused on grüner veltliner  and riesling, but still accounting for a worthy amount of production. Here there was less rainfall in September than further west, but the June rain was still “something like a flood” according to Franz Leth, of Weingut Leth, when “160mm of rain fell in three days.  Hailstorms in the beginning of August, followed by three weeks of very hot weather made 2009 a vintage of weather extremes.”

But, Leth added “we were luckier than western areas of Danube, because we had little rainfall in September, so it was not such hard work selecting in the vineyard.” But volumes are still down around 30% in Wagram. 

Despite the periodic rains, Willhelm Hamm, director of the wine estate, Weingut Stift Klosterneuburg, also in Wagram was optimistic, saying “from mid July to end Oct we had most beautiful weather you could imagine. We had a long vegetative period and therefore long hang time, and we didn’t have extremely high temperatures above 32 to 33°C. “

The June rains may have reduced the flowering and thus the yield across the regions of the river Danube, but such  a yield reduction this early in the season means top producers don’t have to do so much green harvesting in later months. The looser bunches that resulted were nicely aerated, and fruit flavours subsequently concentrated. Growers spoke of vineyard work and very high quality wines.

Brief tasting highlights of the 2009 vintage. May 2010, at Vievinum in Vienna.

General, for both grüner veltliner and riesling at this level.

• All these are excellent wines, with unjustly brief notes.
• Just a couple from each producer
• Silkiness and persistence of texture throughout;
• Elegance and lightness of deportment allied with sometimes amazing depth and density.

Wachau

Weingut Alzinger, Grüner Veltliner Mühlpoint Smaragd, 2009, Wachau
Spicy with fresh/dry combo. Has weight and definition, long, strong, elegant stony palate. purity and spiciness.

Weingut Alzinger, Riesling Loibenberg Smaragd, 2009, Wachau
Apricot and citrus density, fresh, aromatic spices in a lush/fresh combo. Laser precision.

Weingut Franz Hirtzberger, Grüner Veltliner  Rotes Tor Smaragd, 2009, Wachau
Cream/spice combo, great weight and flavour intensity. Long

Weingut Franz Hirtzberger,  Riesling Hochrain Smaragd, 2009, Wachau
Crisp citrus fruit, apricot, precision with youthful energy and weight.

Weingut F. X Pichler, Grüner Veltliner  Loibnerberg Smaragd 2009, Wachau
Fresh-cream, soft pepperiness, fresh and integrated

Weingut F. X Pichler, Riesling Loibnerberg Smaragd 2009, Wachau
Immediate lushness, purity and definition, density and length.

Weingut Veyder-Malberg, Grüner Veltliner  Hochrain 2009, Wachau
Citrus cream-spice. Palate opulence, depth, purity and length.   

Weingut Veyder-Malberg, Riesling Buschenberg 2009, Wachau
Peach and apricot, lush-dry combo, dense flavour with stunning depth and early complexity.

Domäne Wachau, Grüner Veltliner Kaiserberg Federspiel 2009, Wachau
(federspiel = lighter style). Citrus pith then white pepper, clean and defined. Light and refreshing, with attractive substance.

Domäne Wachau, Riesling Achleiten Smaragd, 2009, Wachau
Stone fruits and stoniness, tight/dry combo with fruit density, focus, deportment and long finish.

Kamptal

Weingut Willi Bründlmayer, Grüner Veltliner  Käferberg 2009, Kamptal Reserve DAC, Erste Lage 
(reserve style) Fresh, creamy, density, rich and dry with soft spice pepper.

Weingut Willi Bründlmayer, Riesling Heiligenstein 2009, Kamptal Reserve DAC, Erste Lage 
(reserve style) Tropical and citrus, juicy and blossoming, dry/lush combo.

Weingut Hiedler, Grüner Veltliner Thal 2009, Kamptal Reserve DAC, Erste Lage
(reserve style) Soft, spicy lift, then fresh with a fat-dry combo; layered pepper and pith, dense and long.

Weingut Hiedler, Riesling Gaisberg 2009, Kamptal Reserve DAC, Erste Lage
(reserve style) Limey pith, citrus weight and purity. Focus and balance. juicy and immediately delicious.

Weingut Hirsch, Riesling Zöbing 2009, Kamptal DAC
(Lighter style) Lighter style. lime juiciness, energetic in its vibrant youth.

Weingut Hirsch, Riesling Zöbinger Heiligenstein 2009, Kamptal DAC, Erste Lage
(reserve style) Citrus pith, aromatic tropical spices, density and volume in the mouth.

Weingut Schloss Gobelsburg, Grüner Veltliner Gobelsburger 2009, Kamptal DAC
(lighter style). Fresh, light, lemon-cream; intense floral and pepper.

Weingut Schloss Gobelsburg, Riesling Heiligenstein 2009, Kamptal Reserve DAC, Erste Lage
(reserve style). Piquant aromatic spice, tropical fruit, dense and perky prickle on tongue; deft and complex.

Traisental

Weingut Markus Huber, Grüner Veltliner Obere Steigen 2009, Traisental DAC
(lighter style). light, peppery, citrus pith, attractive pepperiness with nice bit of fat.

Weingut Markus Huber, Riesling Berg 2009, Traisental Reserve DAC, Erste Lage
(reserve style) Rich, tropical/fresh combo, lime notes, round and long.

Muri-Gries' lagrein vineyards

The grape prefers warmer sites, with sandy and gravelly soils, so production is naturally centred around the bowl of Bolzano, at the bottom of the valley, which concentrates the sun during the day from the surrounding mountains.

Good drainage in gravelly soils is said to help retain the grape’s naturally high acidity. Thick skins give a great deal of colour; indeed historically, lagrein was blended into other wines from the region to bolster their colour.  Plentiful tannins need careful attention in the winery otherwise they tend to be slightly bitter. Markus Heinel, the winemaker at J. Hofstätter said this was because “the stalks always stay green, even when they’re ripe.” One check on phenolic ripeness for other grape varieties is when the pips and stalks become brown. The trend to greater phenolic ripeness has greatly helped to tame the tannins in this often rustic variety.

Heinel added: “there are two vineyard styles, one with short stems which are fruitier and made without oak; the other has long stems with more colour and tannin, made in reserve styles.”

Santa Maddalena, overlooking Bolzano

As well as varietal wines, lagrein is regularly a minor player in Alto Adige’s Santa Maddalena DOC, where it can add a modicum of substance to the light, gentle, uncomplicated, local schiava (aka vernatsch) grape variety. Santa Maddalena is located in the hills immediately to the east of Bolzano.

Muri-Gries is a 15^th century monastery-cum-winery which focused on lagrein in the 1980s, making single variety wines, and is now a leading producer of top lagrein.  They were the first to recognise real potential in this specialist grape variety, including from specific types of the variety from their own vineyard.  Around 80% of Muri-Gries red production is now lagrein.

Cantina Convento Muri-Gries, Abtei Lagrein Riserva 2007, Alto Adige DOC
13.5%.   First vintage 1989. 16 months in barrique, 40% new. Tasted May 2010.
Dark translucent ruby/purple colour.  Dark chocolate and coffee bean aromas with smooth attack. Refined, fine-grained tannin frame onto which aromatic, sweetly-ripe, dark, blue- and black-berried fruits and Victoria plums hang.  Has a deceptive depth of flavour with a refreshing core which creates an elegant and rounded balance.  Very good.

Thereafter, the cru bourgeois status will be awarded on an annual basis, following a blind tasting by industry professionals.

Left bank Bordeaux

The cru bourgeois designation is only open to châteaux in the eight appellations of the left bank north of Bordeaux city: Médoc, Haut-Médoc, Margaux, Pauillac, St. Julien, St. Estèphe, Listrac-Médoc and Moulis-en-Médoc. The properties cover more than 7,000 hectares of vineyards, over 40% of the whole Médoc vineyard.

The cru bourgeois moniker is to become both a classification and a guarantee of a certain quality being achieved each year by producers.  The director of the Alliance des Crus Bourgeois du Médoc, Frédérique Dutheillet de Lamothe, who’s not a wine producer, said “all the processes are controlled by Bureau Veritas [a third party organisation that independently monitors protocols and procedures] which will validate that each step of the process is objective and impartial. They will control the volume of wine presented to the tasting matches that on the market.  There will be no direct link with producers, and they will monitor the tasting panels.”

In the first instance, she added “Bureau Veritas will visit all the 290 châteaux [who applied with their 2008 vintage wine] when they apply. And 20% of the châteaux will be re-visited each year” to monitor the châteaux according to a checklist drawn up by the Alliance. Which means all châteaux will be re-visited in five years.

Médoc vineyards

Additionally the blind tasting assessments (called the reconnaissance tasting) will not be done by château producers, which had been one of the criticisms in the legal challenge following the 2003 classification. Instead they are being conducted by 25 tasters from Bordeaux, drawn from such wine professions as oenologists, merchants and brokers.  Tastings are held twice a month from February to July.

Given that Bordeaux experiences variation in its vintages, a benchmark quality level will be set each year, one for the regional appellations of Médoc and Haut-Médoc, and one for all the communal appellations.

There are no rules regarding oak ageing, or style of wine, though châteaux cannot bottle their wine until at least 16 months after the harvest, which is not unusual at this level.  Production regulations are still governed by the appellation rules.

Given that the new cru bourgeois is based on a qualitative blind assessment, and that it is completely voluntary, it will be an ‘open house’, so producers can enter their wine one year and not the next, if they choose. For the 2008 vintage, 290 châteaux applied.  For the 2009 vintage this number of applicants could be greater or smaller, though all applicants must be based in the stated appellations.

Whichever châteaux are awarded the cru bourgeois based on the reconnaissance tasting will be entitled to use the cru bourgeois logo for that vintage, for the volume of wine entered into the tasting. (many châteaux produce more than one wine). Each bottle of wine will have a unique traceable number.

It is hoped that this will bring objectivity, consistency and respect into a classification that it is thought has some significant resonance with consumers but that was in danger of being discredited by the various legal proceedings.

What had happened in 2003 was that 500 châteaux applied for a (then) new cru bourgeois classification, and 247 were awarded that status.  Legal challenges were made by some of those not selected, and the long and short of it is that the selection procedure was deemed legally faulty, so the group had to come up with a whole new protocol.  This is it.