Austria FW Tasting Kit

From one of Austria’s most historic and revered vineyard sites, the Ried Achleiten in Wachau, this stunning Smaragd riesling from Domäne Wachau is intense, precise, deep and offers remarkable ageing potential. The 2021 vintage was marked by a long, cool growing season, leading to wines with exceptional purity, bright acidity, and fine structure. On the nose, this is crystalline, full and complex, with aromas of ripe peach, citrus zest, and white flowers, layered with flinty minerality and a touch of wild herbs and a note of honey. The palate is textured and intense, delivering a beautiful balance between richness and laser-sharp acidity. Notes of apricot, lime, and wet stone unfold gracefully, leading to a long, dry, and precise finish. Already showing impressive clarity and energy, this will only improve with time, developing even greater depth and nuance over the next decade or more. A true Wachau classic.

Stored in the ancient cellars beneath the Maier family home since the 2008 harvest, this remarkable single-vineyard grüner veltliner has been recently re-corked and labelled exclusively for The Wine Society, having shown beautifully when tasted by Josef and Maria Maier. Where the 1996 is all about savoury nuance and subtlety, the 2008 reflects the warmth of its vintage, offering a more generous and rounded expression of this celebrated site. The nose is rich and inviting, with aromas of baked pear, yellow plum and beeswax, alongside hints of nutmeg, hay and toasted nuts. On the palate, this is a textured and full-flavoured grüner, with layers of ripe orchard fruit, preserved lemon and a gentle spiciness, all supported by a broad, mouth-coating feel and a long, juicy finish. There’s still a lovely freshness running through it but this is in a lovely phase of showing mature complexity combined with a more youthful opulence. A delicious place for drinking and with less of a requirement for a well-trained palate than the 1996 which is more suited to people who particularly love mature wines. An excellent contrast to the more restrained 1996, the 2008 shows just how beautifully grüner veltliner can capture the character of a warmer year when grown on great terroir and handled with care.

Dry riesling really flourished in the cool 2020 Austrian vintage and few more so than this superb single-vineyard example from the most extreme westerly end of the Wachau's side valley. Harvest was very long and drawn-out, not finishing until the 20th of November. However, the sugars remained low, in this case just 1 g/l, meaning that this crisp, dry riesling has incredible depth and complexity. The nose shows notes of lemon peel, rose petals and a hint of Turkish delight. The palate is bone dry and focused, fresh and lean, with a generous finish.

A pure, focused and mineral-driven expression of this outstanding riesling single vineyard. Heiligenstein is one of the most highly regarded riesling sites in Europe and Jurtschitsch`s expression is all about purity and bottling the vivacity that the site provides. This Alte Reben is their top expression and comes from their oldest vines on the hillside. The combination of the intensity of flavour that the older vines deliver, paired with the earlier picked and focused winemaking style of Alwin and Stefanie is blissful here. Characteristic orange blossom and a fine citrus bead come together remarkably well. The palate has mineral drive and notes of orange peel, lime and steeliness. This wine needs time and is best decanted but speaks directly to the heart. Drink from 2028 to 2043.

A cunning blend of blaufränkisch, zweigelt and pinot noir from multiple vintages going back almost 10 years, resulting in remarkable complexity and depth of flavour. Balanced vibrant red fruit, savoury tobacco and sweet spice combine beautifully.

Lamm vineyard is grüner veltliner`s answer to riesling`s Heiligenstein. Situated on the same mountain, although lower in altitude and with a hotter aspect, Lamm is a wine which shows great power and intensity yet wears it lightly. A refined, elegant and strong personality, the wine is like a leading ballroom dancer, both light on its feet but muscular. The wine is rich, ripe and ethereal, regularly considered the best of the best of Austria`s grüner veltliner. 2021 Lamm`s signature note of lanolin on the nose sits atop a bed of stone fruit, fresh pithy citrus and straw. The palate is focused with great tension, with all the ingredients to age, evolve and provide incredible drinking pleasure for many years to come.