The Ultimate Austrian Wineguide 2022/23

 VINTAGE 2020 VINTAGE

 VINTAGE 2020 VINTAGE 2020: ELEGANT AND FRUITY IN THE YEAR OF THE PANDEMIC The 2020 vintage proved to be a challenge for Austria’s vintners in many ways. On the one hand, the very variable weather conditions constantly put the winegrowers’ flexibility to the test. On the other hand, the Corona pandemic necessitated the safe adaptation of all work processes in the vineyards and the cellar. A cold and dry spring initially delayed the budding of the vines, but from April onwards, a significantly high number of sunshine hours ensured that the vines flourished rapidly, and there were no dreaded late frosts. Efflorescence was completed for most varieties by mid-June, with only selective losses due to coulure. The summer brought many hot days, repeatedly interrupted by rainfall, and the pressure from fungal diseases kept the vintners alert. Unfortunately, there were also local hailstorms during the ripening period, for example, in the Danube region, with the Wachau particularly hard hit. Thanks to the rainstorms, the vines and grapes otherwise mainly developed stress-free. The finale of the 2020 wine year brought the winegrowers an above-average number of hours of sunshine, which promoted optimal grape ripening. Still, at the end of the month, a cold spell also brought heavy precipitation. So finally, the vintners hurried to get the healthy grapes into the cellars. The first young wine tastings showed promising results; white and red wines displayed good fruit and harmony, whereas white wines had a lively acid structure. Similar to 2019, the harvest volume was slightly below average at around 2.3 million hectolitres, which was not a problem given the Corona-related reserves. THE WINE WEATHER 2020 The variable weather conditions ensured that the local winegrowers remained vigilant. After a dry winter, the vines emerged with a slight delay in some areas. A hot and sunny April did not speed up further development, as it was accompanied by extreme drought that lasted for weeks in many places. A few frosty nights led to damage in unfavourable locations, but overall - and compared to previous years - the damage was insignificant. May saw heavy rainfall, and June was also very wet and unsettled. The flowering of the vines began at a fairly typical time and was essentially unproblematic, with some isolated cases of coulure. This was followed by a summer in which sunny and rainy phases alternated. There were no prolonged heat waves and no high peak temperatures. However, the frequent rainfall led to vigorous plant growth and disease pressure. Careful canopy management and good ventilation of the vines were essential to counteract the spread of fungal diseases. Until mid-August, things appeared very good in the vineyards. In some areas, however, there were localised hailstorms, which caused severe damage in the Wachau region, where the Spitz area was particularly severely affected, and in parts of the Kremstal and Traisental valleys. Some Burgenland and Styrian wine-growing sites were also affected. September also had two facets: on the one hand, it recorded as many hours of sunshine as a summer month and correspondingly high daytime temperatures; on the other hand, towards the end of the month, there was persistent heavy rain in many areas with re- 12 falstaff WINE GUIDE 2022/23