), some hopefully soon here.Sattlerhof Muskateller 2007 (Südsteiermark) was a charming wine, very mineral, floral; dry, mineral, quite delicate and very charming. Those who like Messmer's Muskateller should appreciate this one, too, though this seems more delicate.
Sattlerhof Sauvignon Blanc 2007 (Südsteiermark) was an elegant style of the grape, not an in-your-face style at all, but elegant, slightly grassy, very mineral. I like it, and I rarely get along with the grape.
Fred Loimer was visiting and it was fascinating to hear his approach on wines. I especially like that his wines comes from generally cooler terroirs - add this to his philosophy of harvesting a bit earlier to keep acidity high and sugars in check, and you can understand why I generally like their wines alot.
*Loimer Grüner Veltliner 2007 (Kamptal) was true to the grape, in a pure style, with attractive green notes; mineral and quite light on its feet, though it does have some weight (12,5% abv IIRC). I enjoyed it, but it is a rather straightforward style.
*Loimer Riesling 2007 (Kamptal) was also true to the grape. This is an attractive wine, with nice minerality - but it is the basic stuff, so not terribly complex.
*Loimer Riesling Terrassen 2006 (Kamptal) was pure and intense, weighty (shows the 2006 vintage's size very obviously) yet it has entirely sufficient acidity to cope with the fruit. I think this will be great fun to drink once it calms down.
*Loimer Riesling Beerenauslese Steinmassl 2006 (Kamptal) was perhaps my least favourite of the Loimers: a nose of apricot jam, not as fully botrytised as I expected from a BA; though it apparently has high acidity (8g/l IIRC) it still tastes rather thick and clunky and the 150g/l RS isn't really contained as well as I would hope: this isn't terribly refreshing. It's not bad, and I would like to taste it once it loses some fat, but I'm not terribly excited by it either.
Heinrich St. Laurent 2006 (Neusiedlersee) This was a producer I hadn't heard of before, but this was a very attractive wine: a bit spicy (but sees only old wood), vibrant fruit, quite dark toned, a little bit vegetal; vibrant and well structured palate, juicy acidity, mouthwatering, easy to drink and a great deal of fun.
Heinrich Zweigelt 2006 (Neusiedlersee) was again a pretty dark toned wine on the fruit front, but it had some delicious peppery/vegetal aromas - I have before thought of Zweigelt as a hypothetical mix between a good Cru Bojo and N. Rhône Syrah - and this certainly fits my previous thought. Mouthwatering and crunchy.
Wieninger Chardonnay Classic 2006 (Wien) has no oak, is pretty neutral and light; good structure, mineral. Neutral isn't meant to be a bad word - I enjoyed this as all the pieces were in perfect harmony. If I want a cheap, unoaked, food friendly wine, I would happily take this.
Wieninger Chardonnay Grand Select 2004 (Wien) sees oak, but I don't think anyone else will find it bothersome; medium bodied, typical for the grape, and of genuine interest for those who don't mind a touch of oak.
Wieninger Rosengartl Alte Reben 2006 (Wien) is a field blend of seven grapes. It is like an Arnold Schönberg orchestra piece: occasionally cacophonic, but with a logic and charm of its own; very intense, leesy and complex. I love it! And, I have to be honest, it is probably easier to approach than Schönberg, lol!
*Wieninger Pinot Noir Select 2004 (Wien) was frankly quite spoofy with chocolatey oak the dominant smell; it does have good acidity, I'll admit, but otherwise it seems more like a big Californian Pinot without the high alcohol. Sweet and chocolatey. I really must have a word with my boss about this: Wieninger makes so much other great stuff (like the excellent Pinot Noir Rosé I reported on recently), so why do we only import the spoofy one?
-Otto
David, I love it too. Have you tried Umathum or Poeckl? Now there's some Zweigelt!