The Ultimate Austrian Wineguide 2022/23

 OVERVIEW

 OVERVIEW CLASSIFICATIONS THE FALSTAFF WINE GUIDE – ITS PRACTICAL SIDE WINERY CLASSIFICATIONS AND WINE SCORES Each wine in this book is scored according to the international 100-point scale. Cask samples are signified by scores in parentheses and are predicted scores based on the assessed potential of the yet unfinished wine. The wines are tasted and assessed with knowledge of their origins and based on knowledge and past experience with the development of each individual winery’s terroir and style. This has proved to be particularly valuable when assessing cask samples and very young wines, resulting in more accurate predictions than in blind tastings. A classification of each winery is also included in this guide and is not based solely on the assessment of the current wines. This attempt at winery classifica tions is quite a subject ive undertaking, yet it does follow specified criteria that follow in the next paragraphs. Since the beginning of the Austrian wine branch’s era of tremendous quality improvement, which began at the end of the 1980s, Peter Moser has regularly tasted wines from leading producers, aspiring newcomers, and wineries which would like to be one of the two. Wines from 450 producers are tasted each year, which currently mean more than 50,000 individual tasting notes throughout the year. The English guide includes only a fraction of these. Continuous tastings of these wines allow a depend able overview. Apart from personal prefer ences, it is only natural that through regular contact friendly relationships develop, but despite this there are still objective elements that allow a fair classification. The ability of a producer to optimally express unique terroir is naturally a primary focus. Vineyards, clone selection, and just how consistently outstanding quality, even in difficult vintages, is produced are also considered. To summarize, it is talent, terroir, consis tency, and sometimes origi nality that are desired. These are criteria not just in Austria, but in every wine-producing country.To what extent a producer has been able to achieve these goals over the past 10 years is reflected in a 5-star classification. In the past years this has been a 3-star classifica tion, but the country’s constant quality development has proved this to be too imprecise. This classification occurs in steps, or stages, beginning from a producer’s acceptance into this guide, which is © Shutterstock simultaneously a recommendation. Five stars are awarded to only an elite few and they are the country’s very best producers with wines of best international standards. The five stars now allow the author the possibility to differentiate more precisely. TASTING NOTES EXTRA TROCKEN (EXTRA DRY): Up to 4 g/l residual sugar. TROCKEN (DRY): Up to 9 g/l residual sugar, if the total acidity is less than the residual sugar by a maximum of 2 g/l. For example, a wine with 8 g/l residual sugar must have at least 6 g/l acidity in order to be “trocken”. HALBTROCKEN (OFF-DRY): Up to 12 g/l residual sugar. LIEBLICH (SEMI-SWEET): Up to 45 g/l residual sugar. SÜSS (SWEET): Over 45 g/l residual sugar. ORGANIC Wines made organically or biodynamically. CERTIFIED SUSTAINABLE AUSTRIA The “Sustainable Austria“ certification programme regulates the use of the term “sustainability“ in Austrian winemaking. RATING The rating of the wines follows the internationally accepted system of 100 points which allows a very differentiated and exactly accentuated rating. In addition to this, the 100-point system provides the possibility of an international comparison, since a large number of publications, especially in En glishspeaking countries, relies on this system. Falstaff Rating Scale 100 not to be surpassed 95–99 absolute world class 90–94 excellent wine, among the best of its vintage 85–89 good to very good (–) barrel sample rating PRICE CATEGORIES € up to € 5,– €€ up to € 10,– €€€ up to € 15,– €€€€ up to € 20,– €€€€€ up to € 40,– €€€€€€ more than € 40,– THE 5-STAR CLASSIFICATIONS 5 stars: A winery that always produces extraordinary quality which can be sourced only from the country’s best terroir. This producer is among the best in the world and enjoys international recognition and demand. 4 stars: A producer of wines with consistent outstanding quality and class. A winery with significant international recognition. 3 stars: A producer of very high qualities that are consistently among the best of their category in Austria. 2 stars: A winery of national recognition that regularly produces wines with typical varietal and regional character of very good quality. 1 star: A winery with more than regional significance that regularly produces wines with typical varietal and regional character of good quality. Without a star: A recommendable winery of regional significance that produces wines of dependable quality. ABBREVIATIONS USED The full page coverage of vintners provides you with a wealth of information. In order to save space, we have used abbreviations that are explained further on. The best-rated wine of every producer was described in addition to those wines that are of inter est due to their style. The older ratings were taken from the relevant edition of the German-language Falstaff Wein Guide. 32 falstaff WINE GUIDE 2022/23 33