Weingut Bründlmayer
New Rooms, Magdalen College
**Archived from 21/04/2004**
Hosted by their excellent representative Thomas Klinger, who flew over from Austria to join us for the event. Thomas yet again provided the Society with an informative and entertaining overview of what are for many wine society members an as yet undiscovered region and producer of some of the world's finest white wines.
Grüner Veltliner Alte Reben 2003
21/04/2004
This old vine (alte reben) Grüner is a typical, spritzig, crisp and acidic wine. Pale and watery in appearance. Still very young - one wonders how this mutates into the beautiful older vintages we tasted. It really is like a caterpillar becoming a butterfly. This is certainly still a caterpillar. The plate has a strong mineral streak with some peach notes. Some sweet fruit on the palate and as it warms up the palate becomes thicker. Needs some time. 15/20 now, will improve.
Grüner Veltliner Alte Reben 2002
21/04/2004
Some rich floral notes developing on the nose. Very clean. Quite full, broad flavours, very concentrated on the palate. Big, long, balanced finish. Mineral and broad. Excellent. 17/20.
Grüner Veltliner Alte Reben 2001
21/04/2004
This benefits from 5-10% botrytis affected grapes. The result is subtle and beautiful. A rich nose leads through to an even richer palate. Huge fruit, some sweetness, striking acidity all built around a clear mineral backbone. Great concentration and length. This is a really excellent, remarkable wine with more than a decade of development ahead of it. 18+/20.
Grüner Veltliner Alte Reben 2000
21/04/2004
Smokey nose, could almost wonder if there was a hint of cork taint on this. Others think it is just closing up. Dominated by earthycharacters, quite different to the others tasted so far. Not comparable.
Not scored.
Grüner Veltliner Alte Reben 1996
21/04/2004
1996 was a very cool vintage. Again, the wine exemplifies this in comparison to the others tasted this evening. Slightly musky nose. Layered palate. Quite thick and luscious, surprisingly so compared to
the others. Rich and concentrated but still musky palate. Very good, but very different in style to the previous wines. A hint of botrytis may be involved in this? Not scored.
Grüner Veltliner Loiser Berg Auslese 1983
21/04/2004
Tasted on three occasions now. Without doubt, one of my personal favourite white wines of all time. This looks like a TBA - deep gold/orange glints. The nose is beautiful, with real tertiary characters
- almost like candied fruits. Sweet palate, but wonderfully in context with the wine. Glorious balance. Medium finish, this has also lost the fierce attack of the younger GV wines. Showing full maturity now, but will keep a short while longer. How has GV been so overlooked?! Not scored.
Riesling Kamptsler Terrassen 2003
Pale, watery colour. Absolutely wonderful, young, floral nose - honeysuckle. Very open, very light. This is a summer drinker, to enjoy young as an aperitif or with light salads. 14-15/20.
Riesling Heiligenstein 2002
More concentrated nose than the Kamptaler Terrassen. A little more colour on the palate too. Spritzig. Heavy, scented nose - more complex. Same concentrated mineral character with good length. 15-16/20.
Riesling Heiligenstein Alte Reben 2002
Coming from vines with an average age of 50 years. Pale colour. Tantalisingly closed nose, slightly herby in character at this stage. Lean and austere palate right now - it tastes like the vineyard soil! Very dry and mineral. This needs at least a decade to even begin showing at its best - destined for a very long life. 16/20 now, will improve.
Riesling Heiligenstein Lyra 2002
The nose is a little more open than the Alte Reben. Dry, but actually 7g/L residual sugar - just on the limit of perception. Incredibl mineral palate, but certainly richer. Whereas the Alte Reben is described as tasting like the soil, the Lyra tastes like the fruit! Not scored.
Riesling Heiligenstein Beerenauslese 2000
21/04/2004
Golden. Nose of bitter apricot botrytis. Exotic and floral. Quite amazing palate, not to thick or glycerol. Oak barrel fermentation. Excellent.
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