Winemaker Notes
Professional Ratings
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James Suckling
A very complex and sophisticated, champagne-inspired Austrian sparkling wine. Incredible harmony of deep creaminess from lees autolysis, racy acidity and tingling mousse. Lots of candied citrus with a touch of smoke, a wonderful interplay of youthful freshness and maturing aromas. Very long, pure finish. Primarily from the 2018 vintage with 35% reserve wines. A half-and-half cuvee of chardonnay and pinot noir.
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
Bründlmayer's NV Extra Brut is an Austrian Sekt that comes pretty close to fine Champagne cuvées. Always based on 60% Pinot Noir and 40% Chardonnay, this cuvée (L2683) is based on the 2010 vintage and was disgorged in April 2015. It opens with clear and very delicate brioche, citrus and apple flavors on the nose. This leads to a medium to full-bodied, very elegant, lean and mineral palate that reveals both finesse and intensity. The finish is long and complex and really stimulating. Highly recommended.
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Wine Enthusiast
Restraint on nose and palate gently leads to citrussy concentration. This is a classy, concentrated selection, with a backbone of fine acidity and very fine, persistent bubbles—both are the must-have attributes of a good apéritif. The long, dry finish will impress those in the know.
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Wilfred Wong of Wine.com
COMMMENTARY: The Bründlmayer Brut offers a nice blend of fresh and aged nuances. TASTING NOTES: This wine shows aromas and flavors of apple, hints of flowers, and earth. Enjoy it with oven-baked chicken thighs. (Tasted: November 2, 2021, San Francisco, CA)
A term typically reserved for Champagne and Sparkling Wines, non-vintage or simply “NV” on a label indicates a blend of finished wines from different vintages (years of harvest). To make non-vintage Champagne, typically the current year’s harvest (in other words, the current vintage) forms the base of the blend. Finished wines from previous years, called “vins de reserve” are blended in at approximately 10-50% of the total volume in order to achieve the flavor, complexity, body and acidity for the desired house style. A tiny proportion of Champagnes are made from a single vintage.
There are also some very large production still wines that may not claim one particular vintage. This would be at the discretion of the winemaker’s goals for character of the final wine.
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.