Winemaker Notes
Loiserberg, a terraced Erste Lage (Premiere Cru classified) vineyard with a southeast exposure, is Jurtschitsch's highest and coolest vineyard site, at 400m above sea-level. The vines here are over 30 years old, and the soils are composed of glimmer slate, with a little loess on top. The cold winds from the northwest chill down this hill as soon the sun goes down, so the fine fruit aromas in the berries are preserved. The combination of microclimate and soil creates a wine with a crystalline structure and pure fruit. The grapes are harvested according to taste, not by analysis; it is only a short time between not-yet-ripe and overripe maturity. If the grapes are too ripe, the minerality is lost.
Organically Grown
Professional Ratings
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Wine Enthusiast
There is a nice reductive character at the beginning here, with white raspberry peaking through, followed by a wave of flavors, including peach, cardamom, coriander and even uni. It is a very interesting expression of the grape, as it seems the origin is more important than variety here. The wine can be enjoyed now, but it will only get better with a few years of aging.
Fun to say and delightfully easy to drink, Grüner Veltliner calls Austria its homeland. While some easily quaffable Grüners come in a one-liter—a convenient size—many high caliber single vineyard bottlings can benefit from cellar aging. Somm Secret—About 75% of the world’s Grüner Veltliner comes from Austria but the variety is gaining ground in other countries, namely Hungary, the Czech Republic, Slovakia and the United States.
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.