Winemaker Notes
Cool and gripping with a line up of sugar melon, gooseberry and peach notes. Very hearty and peppy - with lighter fruit nuances; tightly-knit and structured, a complete bouquet of herbs on the palate. Smoky undertone, with a nervous acidity in the finale. Impressive above all by elegance and dryness.
Professional Ratings
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Wine Enthusiast
An earthy dimension still clings to the zesty notes on the nose but on the palate a whole load of citrus flavors are expressed without strain: For now, lemon and the tangy zest of tangerine carry everything on this slender but concentrated wine to a glorious, totally refreshing finish. This is the glory of youth but with such purity and bundled energy this has a long, promising and decidedly delicious future.
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.