The Tb points given to this wine are the world’s most valid and most up-to-date evaluation of the quality of the wine. Tastingbook points are formed by the Tastingbook algorithm which takes into account the wine ratings of the world's 50 best-known professional wine critics, wine ratings by thousands of tastingbook’s professionals and users, the generally recognised vintage quality and reputation of the vineyard and winery. Wine needs at least five professional ratings to get the Tb score. Tastingbook.com is the world's largest wine information service which is an unbiased, non-commercial and free for everyone.
Viinin Kuvailu
The Story
Grape variety: Grüner Veltliner
Harvest yield: 2,500 l / ha
Alcohol content: 13.5%
Bottle closure type: Natural cork
Vineyard: Käferberg
Size: 30.4 ha
Elevation: 310 – 345 m
Inclination: 5°
Orientation: South-East
Soil: The soil here differs from that of all other sites in the region. At the 300 metre level, preserved calcareous, clayey marine deposits are found. This soil is similar to that of the famous Château Petrus in Pomerol, and produces an extremely dense wine, although it is difficult to work with. The elevation contributes good acidity structure also in warm vintages and late harvests.
Maturation: This wine is usually fermented in used (2 - 3 years old) 300 liter Austrian oak barrels. For further maturation, it is racked into 2.500 l casks (also 2 - 3 years old).
Food pairing recommendation: Exotic dishes like curry and stir-fried dishes; typical Austrian dishes like Wiener Schnitzel, and roasted goose, duck or pork; goose or duck liver with vegetables and fruit; calf’s liver with apples and onions etc.
Wine Information
The 2016 vintage: When flowering began on June 10th, it signalled that 2016 was one of the earliest - though not extremely early - vintages, which indeed was very promising; we had expected wines that were mature, but not heavy, and were looking forward to having the entire spectrum, from light and fresh sparkling and Grüner Veltliner wines, to outstanding, late harvest Reserve quality wines.
After a relatively damp spring, the summer proved rainy as well. It was only during the last week of August that a sunny, stable weather period began, allowing for a wonderful development of ripeness.
A very sunny and warm September was followed in early October by a cooler period with alternating dry and wet phases. The entire harvest was carried out in a highly selective way: only hand-picked and hand-sorted grapes (excuding those that were good for eating) were allowed in our wine press and used for the wines.
At the beginning of November, the last grapes from the Steinmassel, Lamm, Spiegel, Heiligenstein and other vineyards were harvested with excellent quality. On January 6th, we were able to complete the vintage 2016 (+17! ) with two Eiswein (ice wine) harvests – Riesling and Muskateller. Due to changing weather conditions in the spring and summer, a lot of time and work was invested in the vineyards, which is why maximum grape quality was achieved. The wines of the vintage are characterized by very direct, linear fruit with grip and incredible freshness and vibrancy. With good cellar storage, we expect this vintage to have excellent ageing potential !
Date of harvest: October 30, 2016
Awards: 94/100 Falstaff Weinguide 2017/2018
Tasting notes: Suggestive nose - ripe, but not too opulent; opens quickly and freely: notes of chestnut and nougat with components of red berries; velvety-rich, almost mysterious! Dense, with extract sweetness, tightly woven with plenty of inviting and charming fruit aspects. Exceptionally lively and vital; robust and full-bodied with a long, racy finish. – Viktor Siegl