Alas more from Austria! We are determined to get Milwaukee hooked!
MORIC Neckenmarkter Blaufrankisch 2005, Mittelburgenland Austria
FROM DAVID SCHILDKNECHT FOR ROBERT PARKER’S WINE ADVOCATE: The 2005 Blaufrankisch Neckenmarkter delivers aromas of blackberry, smoked meat, and walnut, making for a pleasantly bitter, rather Cabernet Franc-like cast. Juicy, faintly bitter and salty, with subtle tart black fruit and walnut oil on the palate, this clings with a tart, bitter-sweet cast and striking salinity. There will be plenty of rewards for anyone who takes this wine through its paces at the dinner table. And it may gain over a couple of years in bottle, but will, I suspect, be best drunk within 3-4 years.
From me: This wine was stunning - on the nose it had the typical tomato, fresh snapped green bean that I have been taught is typical of the varietal. Pepper, blackberry and allspice also. On the palate it had lively but graceful acidity bright red and black fruits and non intrusive tannins. Also very smokey and, although I am not sure what the soils of Neckenmarkt or Lutzmannsburg bring, it has a real sense of place. As we tasted we talked about the bounty of foods this would be great with from oily fishes to red meats, Blaufrankish is so versatile. As a friend said, “I could drink the bottle without becoming uninterested in this wine!” We compared this to heavier reds that can be difficult to finish because of the tannic structure. Brighter fruit is desirable as it is a compliment to foods, and this wine delivers. Retailing close to $30.00.
“I believe the world of wine is so fed up with uniform wines, produced with the goal of achieving a maximum of points in a tasting and not with the motivation of creating from the raw materials that are at disposal, namely soil, climate and varietal, a product that is singular, because of the fact that it can only grow in this one place. Fast money creates fast wines and there it is the fast wine to go with our fast food. No friend of wine really wants this and even the so called wine industry won’t want it anymore once they realize how they have shot themselves in the foot.” Roland Velich, wine maker…………WOW! I love this guy!
Donabaum Spitzer Point Gruner Veltliner Smaragd 2006, Wachau Austria
Wine Spectator 94 - “Vibrant, smoky and rich, with concentrated flavors of peach, quince, apricot and lychee. Powerful.”
Sorry about the WS review, but I have to agree. On the nose there was definite white pepper typical of the varietal with an Alcasian waxy lychee presence. A friend was saying arugula while I was thinking sweet peas. Also slatley, but very pretty. On the palate there was peach, apricot skin with a waxy / lanolin lovely nuance. Retail around $30.00 It is very feminine, but we were also tasting -
2002 F.X. Pichler Grüner Veltliner Smaragd Dürnsteiner Kellerberg
This was in no way ready, chunky and out of balance. The pepper aspect roared while the waxy / lanolin thing was more reminiscent of swiss cheese at the end of the block, a fellow taster noted. It made the Donabaum seem more graceful and restrained and easier to enjoy.
At 26 years old, Johann Donabaum has taken over the reins as the cellarmaster of the relatively small 9 acre family winery in Spitz, whose total production each year is 2,100 cases (85% white, 10% red, 5% sweet)
He might seem terribly young to us here in America, but what you need to understand is that Johann has been in training for this his entire life. Training which included a stint working and learning from F X Pichler, perhaps the most famous vintner from the mighty Wachau region.
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