We don't see much of the better Austrian names here so this was a fascinating tasting. To this amateur of Austrian wines it seemed that though there were differences in producers' styles, the more important factor for me was the vintage differences. I regularly preferred the "bad" or cool vintages to the hot ones - which happen to be the ones that at least Austrian critics from the Falstaff publication prefer.
We started with a blind wine, Lackner Tinnacher Roter Traminer "Türken" 2012 from Südsteiermark. Roter Traminer is a synonym for Gewürztraminer, but this wasn't like any other Gewürz I've had. Sure it had a bit of a floral aroma but it was no where near the full-on perfume of other examples I've had of the grape. It was fairly light in body and steely in structure but had a bit of heat on the finish (13,5% abv IIRC). But despite that touch of heat, I did quite enjoy it.
Then we had the Hirtzberger vs. Prager single blind with a couple fully blind jokers thrown in just for fun.
Hirtzberger Riesling "Singerriedel" Smaragd 2002
Sweet and honeyed with a matureish fruit but also quite tropical and exotic and spicy. Good acidity, long, perhaps a touch of heat on the finish. I liked it.
Prager Riesling "Wachstum Bodenstein" Smaragd 2002
This was similar the the first wine with almost a late-harvesty feel about it, exotic and spicy and again with that lovely matureish Riesling fruit. Wonderful acidity, long, dry and mineral. And no heat on the finish. I liked this one very much.
Prager Riesling "Wachstum Bodenstein" Smaragd 2003
Tropical and with a bit weird aromas, almost like vanilla. Low acidity, lacks any kind of tension on the palate. Fat and low acidity is not a combination I really care for.
Hirtzberger Riesling "Singerriedel" Smaragd 2003
Somewhat brighter aromas than the Prager but still it is a thick, oily, low acid wine that lacks tension. Not so keen on this.
Jurtschitsch Riesling Alte Reben "Zöbinger Heiligenstein" 2007
Was our Kamptal-ringer. It had very, very ripe and musky Riesling aromas, very spicy and seemed like it had a bit of botrytis. Rich and ripe but with a bit of grip though low in acidity. It was a nice wine in a tasting portion but I do kind of feel that I would need more acidity were I to drink this at home with dinner.
Hirtzberger Riesling "Singerriedel" Smaragd 2005
Corked.
Prager Riesling "Wachstum Bodenstein" Smaragd 2004
A really nice aroma, honeyed and musky and spicy; the palate, however, was much leaner than expected from the scent, dry and powerful and acidic and I liked this one very much.
Prager Riesling "Wachstum Bodenstein" Smaragd 2006
A strange nose. Lactic and sweaty (ewww!); but a nice, pure but very ripe Riesling fruit shines through. A nice, rich, sweet, ripe style of Riesling but unlike the 2003s this one at least had pretty decent acidity. It was ok, but the nose was a bit strange. Hopefully it's just in an awkward phase or that this was just a bit off.
Prager Riesling "Wachstum Bodenstein" Smaragd 2007
Ripe and spicy and smells a bit like liquorice! Rich, ripe and frankly a bit over the top with everything. But once again, it's pretty awesome as a tasting portion but I do wonder if I would enjoy it as much over dinner (at least in this youthful stage).
Hirtzberger Riesling "Singerriedel" Smaragd 2006
Ripe and peachy and spicy and very primary. Really rich and broad in the mouth, but amazingly there is enough acidity to keep it together at least in a tasting portion. This is a bit over the top, however, and there is even a touch of heat on the finish. A fascinating tasting wine, but once again I wonder how, at least in this primary stage of evolution, I will enjoy it over dinner.
Prager Riesling "Ried Klaus" Smaragd 2005
Honey and spice and a general late-harvestyness. It tastes like a paradox - it is a dry sweet wine. It is completely over the top but in a most wonderful way. I thought it was pretty awesome. And there's even enough acidity to keep all of this strangeness intact.
Hirtzberger Riesling "Singerriedel" Smaragd 2008
Lean and mean and steely after all these spicy and super-ripe Rieslings. Acidic, sour and absolutely delicious. Hold.
Prager Riesling "Wachstum Bodenstein" Smaragd 2008
Lean and mean and steely and even more tight than the Singerriedel. Even more acidic and sour and delicious and difficult. Hold. But this was probably my favourite of the whole tasting even though it was the grumpiest, meanest wine. But as lovely as some of these fat, powerful, ripe, spicy Rieslings were, this kind of tightly coiled, nervous wine full of tension is still what excites me most.
As a blind sweetie we had an Angerhof-Tschida Gelber Muskateller Schilfwein 2008 with 241 g/l RS it was just all sweetness and lovely citric acidity and honey and flower aromas. A fun sweetie.
no problem, but prefer Hirtzbergers as a rule.