The Ultimate Austrian Wineguide 2023/24

AUSTRIA’S GRAPE

AUSTRIA’S GRAPE VARIETIES Blauer Wildbacher BLAUER BURGUNDER Synonyms: Blauer Spätburgunder, Pinot Noir Blauburgunder, otherwise known as Pinot Noir, stems from Burgundy and ranks among the great classic international red wine varieties. In Austria it was first mentioned in 1394, when it was plant ed by Cistercian monks who had brought it directly from France to Gumpoldskirchen where the Freigut Thallern monks still own the Heiligenkreuz Abbey. Blauburgunder is regarded as the prima donna among the classic grape varieties. It sets high demands on location, requiring warm and fertile soils. Bunches are rather small and compact with berries that are round, thin-skinned, and juicy. It takes a highly skilled winemaker to bring the best out of Pinot Noir: the subtle finesse on the nose, its complex and fruity flavours, the silky texture and a longevity exceeding that of most other varieties. The increasing skill of Austrian vintners has inspired them to plant more Blauburgunder (Pinot Noir) and the variety now makes up 903 hectares of the country’s vineyards. The best producers are rewarded with expressive reds; the lesser engaged vintners only too frequently obtain thin, stingy wines which lack ripeness. Top varietal representatives are found in the Thermenregion, Vienna, and on both sides of Lake Neusiedl in Burgenland. ST. LAURENT Synonyms: Saint Laurent, Sankt Laurent, Lorenzitraube August 10th is the feast of Saint Laurentius and the day on which this variety usually turns colour. Its history of origin was repeatedly associated with the Bordeaux village of the same name, but it was actually discovered by a certain Mister Bronner from Wieloch in Alsace, who designated it “Schwarzer” and reported Burgundy as its original home. There are, in fact, some similarities with Pinot Noir both in the vineyard and in terms of aromas and flavours, which seem to indicate a certain relationship between the two varieties. St. Laurent grows well on light soils. Unlike Pinot Noir it is characterized by early bud-break. It is thicker skinned than Pinot Noir and produces more robust, dark, velvety reds. Yields must be limited rigorously to promote concentration and ageing capacity. Its amarelle cherry aromas and flavours, which are sometimes offset by a deli cate tartness, have gained it many fans. It profits tremendously from bottle ageing. Ex perience has also proved St. Laurent to be a good blending partner. BLAUBURGER Blauburger is an Austrian crossbreed between Blauer Portugieser and Blaufränkisch and dates back to 1923. The final syllable “burger” points to the Federal College and Research Centre for Viticulture and Pomology Klosterneuburg. Its intention at that time was to surpass Zweigelt, but this eventually failed. Since the Blauburger is deeply coloured, it was soon degraded to a colouring wine in blends. In terms of aromas and flavours it resembles a milder version of Blaufränkisch. Today, some excellent oak-matured wines are made from this grape, which fell into unfortu nate disrepute, but is truly worthy of note. BLAUER WILDBACHER Synonym: Schilcher Schilcher is the special name of a rosé made from Blauer Wildbacher grapes. This designation is only allowed in Steiermark. Blauer Wildbacher is an old Austrian variety that is said to go back to the Celts. Manuscripts from the 16th century show the first record © WSNA 28 falstaff WINE GUIDE 2023/24

RED WINE VARIETIES of the name. Genuine Schilcher comes exclusively from Weststeiermark where vines thrive up to 600 meters above sea level. Despite this, commercial success in the eighties inspired a wave of new plant ings throughout Steiermark (Styria). Blauer Wildbacher is also used for the production of fragrant and refreshing bottle-fermented sparkling wine as well as deeply col oured red wine. The variety is not very demanding in terms of soil, requiring only warm and aerated sites due to its prone ness to rot. The grapes ripen late and bring only moderate, often inconsistent yields. The colour spectrum of the wine ranges from onion skin shades to ruby-pink. Its red berry and herbal flavour is backed up by a tart acidity and a refreshing character. CABERNET SAUVIGNON The world’s most famous grape variety also found its way to Austria from Bordeaux. The wine-growing pioneer Robert Schlumberger planted both Cabernet and Merlot on his estate in Bad Vöslau in the 19th century. Although Schlumberger’s Privatkeller was a great “liquid” success for decades, his venture eventually fell into oblivion. The first vintner to reinstate this noble grape was Anton Kollwentz from Burgenland. In Mailberg in Nieder österreich (Lower Austria), Lenz Moser carried out tests that showed promising results on the Schlossweingut Malteser Ritterorden estate in Weinviertel, on much less suitable terroir than in Neusiedlersee-Hügelland. Progressive Austrian winegrowers really had to fight for Cabernet Sauvignon. They planted experimental vineyards and their efforts were constantly supported by Falstaff Magazine. After triumphantly showing their expected positive results, the bureaucratic hurdles were also finally cleared and Cabernet Sauvignon was officially authorized as a permitted quality grape variety on June 11, 1986. Contrary to many a false prophecy, it has not spread like a flood, drowning all indigenous grapes below it. Cabernet Sauvignon thrives almost everywhere, is dis ease and pest resistant and can withstand dryness – even low temperatures do not bother it. A miracle grape? Not at all! If you tackle this grape as a winegrower ra ther than a jungle-ranger, enough work still awaits. Although yields are low, additional crop restriction and rigorous green harvests are necessary to bring in ripe fruit at the end of the growing season. As the vines grow ing older, Cabernet Sauvignon displays its exception al potential to an ever-increasing extent. Connoisseurs love its pronounced cassis nose, its succulence and inherent harmony. Cabernet Sauvignon turned out to be a perfect blending partner for indigenous Austrian varieties, wherein only small amounts are employed for structure and texture. Unfortunately, if weather conditions prevent the fruit from ripening fully, heavy losses will be suffered. In problematic years, many producers refrain from making varietal Cabernets altogether. In good vintages, this grape produces wines with impressive structure, pronounced aromas and flavours, and a firm tannic backbone. MERLOT This grape was mentioned for the first time in the Bordeaux region in the 18th century. It was permitted as a quality variety in Austria first in 1986. At present, Merlot plantings remain on a rather limited scale. The grape is mainly employed as a blend ing partner. Merlot is not very demanding on soil and site. It prefers dry soils and warm, medium-quality sites as well a mild climate, Merlot 29