Austrian Riesling tasting notes

The tasting had been organised by Austrian Wine. More than a hundred producers represented the majority of the Austrian wine regions.

Riesling accounts for only 4% of Austria's vineyard plantings. The fact that, over 14% of the more than 600 (!) wines that were poured at the Importers Tasting were Rieslings underlines the importance of Riesling for the Austrian wine industry. Austrian Riesling stands for quality and longevity, expressing and thus representing Austria's terroir more than any other grape variety.

I was happy to be able to taste Rieslings of producers I have not been familiar with so far, although I missed a few I had planned to visit due to the lack of time.

Austrian Riesling tasting notes 2010

Weinrieder

Weinrieder 2008 Kugler Riesling

Kugler vineyard is primarily loam and loess soil.
Aroma of stone fruit and slightly smokey minerals. Dry on the palate, soft mouthfeel, medium acidity. Ripe stone fruit flavor with a soft off-dry finish.

Weinrieder 2007 Kugler Riesling

Somber stone fruit aroma. Off-dry and more opulent than the 2008 Kugler. Already quite developed with very ripe stone fruit and minerality. Medium(+) length.

Weinrieder 2002 Kugler Riesling

Pronounced honey and petrol aroma. Sweet, very soft mouthfeel. Elegant peach, apricot and honey flavors with a touch of chocolate. Complex and elegant Eiswein. Very good!

Weingut Leth

Leth 2009 Felser Weinberge Riesling

Alcohol: 12.5%

The Felser Weinberge have a gravelly soil with high iron oxide content, giving the soil a reddish tint. The 2009 Riesling has a floral aroma with a very dominant pear character. The pear is also quite pronounced on the palate, but balanced by more minerality. Medium length with a spicy and floral finish, which nicely echoes the aroma.

Zull

Zull 2009 Innere Bergen Riesling

Alcohol: 13%

The Innere Bergen consist of primarily granite soils. The 2009 Riesling has an aroma of woodruff with elegant floral notes. It is off-dry on the palate with apple, spice and pepper flavors. The medium(+) long length finishes in a nice mineral note.

Sepp Moser

Sepp Moser 2008 Von den Terrassen Riesling

Alcohol: 12.9%

Citrus fruit aroma with a nice smokey touch. Earthy on the palate, with florals and an interesting bitter/sweet finish. Medium length.

Weingut Bründlmayer

Bründlmayer 2008 Kamptaler Terrassen Riesling

Alcohol: 12%

Youthful nose with a ripe pear fruit aroma. Dry on the palate with a relatively simple flavor profile of candied pear.

Bründlmayer 2008 Steinmassel Riesling

Alcohol: 12%

The nose is still a bit muted - fruit and herbs. Dry on the palate with the taste of a sweet juicy pear. The Steinmassel is spicy and has an elegant bitter finish. Very good.

Bründlmayer 2008 Heiligenstein Alte Reben Riesling

Alcohol: 13.5%

This Riesling from vines that are 45 years old has a beautiful and pronounced aroma of stone fruit and minerality. It is dry and has impressively spicy quince and apple flavors. Long length. Drink now or keep 10-15 more years.

Schloss Gobelsburg

Gobelsburg 2009 Riesling

Alcohol: 12.5%

Youthful nose of white gummi bear aroma. Dry, medium acidity. Spicy, candied pear aroma. A bit too much candied pear for my taste.

Hirsch

Hirsch 2008 Zöbing Riesling

Alcohol: 12%

Enticing aroma of meadow flowers, fruit and herbs. Dry, medium(+) acidity, very refreshing fizzy mouthfeel, pear and mineral flavors.

Hirsch 2007 Zöbinger Gaisberg Riesling

Alcohol: 12%
Attractive aroma of ripe apple with hints of herbs and grasses, all very light-toned and elegantly balanced. Off-dry (15 g/l residual sugar), medium(+) acidity, ripe grapefruit flavors, overall quite full-bodied despite its modest alcohol level. Spicy finish.

Hirsch 2007 Zöbinger Heiligenstein Riesling

Alcohol: 12%
Developed nose of earthy barnyard aromas. Off-dry on the palate, but with a pronounced, almost sharp mineral flavor. Medium(+) length.

Geyerhof

Geyerhof 2009 Sprinzenberg/Oberfucha Riesling

Alcohol: 13%

Aroma of apple and florals. Dry. Spicy apple sauce flavor. Rather short length and overall very linear and steely, despite its spicy aspect.

Geyerhof 2008 Kirchensteig/Oberfucha Riesling

Alcohol: 12.5%

Slightly muted aroma, but nevertheless very elegantly balanced fruit and minerality. Refreshing peach and apricot flavors, turning more somber during a medium long length. Needs a couple more years.

Geyerhof 2008 Goldberg Riesling

Alcohol: 13%

Pronounced intensity of floral and stone fruit aromas. Off-dry, with high acidity and pronounced minerality. Flavors of ripe pear and spiced apple. Long length. Perfect to drink now but should refine its complexity over the next ten years.

Malat

Malat 2009 Göttweiger Berg Riesling

Alcohol: 12%

Aroma of citrus fruit. Bone dry on the palate with a medium(+) acidity. Applepie flavor with an interesting biscuit note. Medium length.

Malat 2009 Steinbühel Riesling

Alcohol: 12.5%

Citrus aroma, but softer than the Göttweiger Berg and more minerality on the nose. Dry on the palate with nice minerality and white pepper and hints of pear. Nice Riesling, but a bit too floral for my taste.

Malat 2009 Silberbühel Riesling Reserve

Alcohol: 13.5%

Rather muted but nevertheless elegant aroma of citrus fruit. Floral and citrus flavors and alcoholic on the finish. Needs at least 2-3 years in the bottle to open up and balance the alcohol.

Stift Göttweig

Stift Göttweig 2009 Göttweiger Berg Riesling

Alcohol: 12.5%

Aroma of candied pear and woodruff. Very floral but overall the candied pear is too dominating.

Stift Göttweig 2008 Silberbichl Riesling Reserve

Alcohol: 13%

Floral aroma but with a nice earthy tone. Spicy on the palate, but with a fairly short length.

Nikolaihof

Nikolaihof 2008 Vom Stein Riesling Federspiel

Smokey mineral aroma, yet very smooth. Dry, high acidity. Soft mouthfeel with citrus and mineral flavors. Long length, well balanced, with a touch of spice at the end.

Nikolaihof 2005 Klausberg Riesling Privatreserve

The Klausberg vineyard lies just outside of the official Wachau border, thus it cannot be called a Smaragd, what it technically is, but instead is labeled as "Privatreserve". This wine spent three years on barrel before it was released.

Medium(+) intensity of orange peel and minerality. A fairly full-bodied, yet soft Riesling with ripe grapefruit flavor and a pronounced mineral character. Medium(+) length.

Nikolaihof 2005 Steiner Hund Riesling Reserve

Alcohol: 12.5%

Medium(+) intensity of wet leaf aroma. Dry. Very spicy with moist stone flavors. Soothing like the interior of a cathedral on hot summer day. Very elegant mineral-driven Riesling.

Rainer Wess

Wess 2009 Riesling

Alcohol: 12.5%

Nice aroma of very ripe, somber pear fruit. Dry on the palate, medium(+) acidity and a piercing minerality. Peppery citrus fruit flavors. Medium length.

Wess 2008 Terrassen Riesling

Alcohol: 13%

Enticing apple orchard aroma, sweet fruit and florals. Dry on the palate, with medium(+) acidity. Apples and pronounced mineral flavors. Very good.

Wess 2008 Loibenberg Riesling

Alcohol: 13%

Grapefruit aroma. Refreshing mineral and citrus flavors. Dry, medium length.

Weingut Lagler

Lagler 2008 Federspiel Setzberg Riesling

Alcohol: 12.5%

Intriguing pronounced farmyard aroma, very earthy. Dry, high acidity. Somber grapefruit flavor, notes of minerality and a peppery finish.

Lagler 2008 Smaragd 1000 Eimerberg Riesling

Alcohol: 13%
Soft aroma of perfumed fruit (what a difference compared to the Setzberg Federspiel!). Dry on the palate with a similar somber grapefruit flavor profile. Minerality and black pepper on the finish. Very good.