Winemaker Notes
Professional Ratings
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
Bründlmayer's 2014 Riesling Zöbinger Ried Heiligenstein Alte Reben 1ÖTW proves impressively that this difficult vintage has been fully underrated by professionals. Willy Bründlmayer would prefer a 2014 or 2016 to the highly appreciated 2015, if he had to go on a desert island and had the choice, as he told me during the tasting in late September 2019. The bouquet displays the obligatory subtle flinty/smoky background, yet here the fruit is not only ripe but also coolish, herbal and precise. The palate is round and elegant and displays a certain sweetness combined with a more phenolic character compared to 2016. The finish is slightly drying but also salty, long and tensioned yet that of a leaner, fine and elegant style. "In 2014, we had to wait very long until the ripeness came," says Bründlmayer. "Botrytis came yet wasn't good enough to be selected for the noble sweet wine categories Beerenauslese and Trockenbeerenauslese. Thus, all infected grapes were discharged and cut to the soil."
Riesling possesses a remarkable ability to reflect the character of wherever it is grown while still maintaining its identity. A regal variety of incredible purity and precision, this versatile grape can be just as enjoyable dry or sweet, young or old, still or sparkling and can age longer than nearly any other white variety. Somm Secret—Given how difficult it is to discern the level of sweetness in a Riesling from the label, here are some clues to find the dry ones. First, look for the world “trocken.” (“Halbtrocken” or “feinherb” mean off-dry.) Also a higher abv usually indicates a drier Riesling.
Climbing north and slightly east of the Kremstal region, Kamptal has very little vineyard area bordering the Danube River (unlike Wachau and Kremstal, whose vineyards run along it). The region takes its name from the river called Kamp, which traverses it north and south. Kamptal’s densely planted vineyards represent eight percent of Austria’s total.
The area experiences wide diurnal temperature variations like the Wachau but with less rain and more frost. Its vast geologic diversity makes it suitable for various experimentations with other varieties besides Grüner Veltliner and Riesling, such as Chardonnay, Pinot Blanc (Weissburgunder), Sauvignon Blanc, Pinot Noir, St. Laurent and Zweigelt.
But the region is probably most noted for the beautiful and expansive terraced Heiligenstein, arguably one of the world’s top Riesling sites, as well as some of Austria’s most extraordinary Grüner Veltliner vineyards. Kamptal’s soils, which are mostly loess and sand with some gravel and rocks, make it suitable for Grüner Veltliner, so much so that actually half of the zone is planted to that grape.