Winemaker Notes
A whole bouquet of white and yellow flowers (elder-acacia) rises immediately to the nose but also grapy flavors with a twist of lemon peel, followed by some mineral and yeasty tones, dry and lovely fresh on the palate, very pure, fragrant and again striking with its light fruit tones like fresh vineyard peaches, also a crisp acidity backbone that highlights some spice and minerals, elegant, slender, perfect in its youth for the summery terraces but with potential for further maturing to a complete text book Riesling.
Pair this wine alongside seafood, cold starters, grilled fish, white meat, fried or roasted chicken and different Asian dishes (Wok) if not too hot.
Organically grown
Professional Ratings
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James Suckling
A very tight, composed white, showing dried-apple, lemon and spiced-pear character with heather and honeysuckle. It’s full-bodied with lots of lively fruit and a vivid finish. Structured. Super wine at this quality level from one of the legends. From organically grown grapes. Drink or hold.
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Wine Enthusiast
The faintest whiff of passion fruit hovers tropically on the nose. The palate tones it down, with slender citrus notions of lemon and zesty grapefruit, presenting a slender, fresh and tangy body full of aromatic, citrus-scented freshness. The finish is dry and moreish.
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.