Meinhard Forstreiter Qualitatswein Reserve St. Laurent 2009
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Meinhard Forstreiter took over the estate from his parents in 2001 with his wife Isabella, thoroughly modernising the operation. He had grown up on the estate and was of course familiar with every detail, every corner of its vineyards: the detailed conditions of the individual microclimates, the vines and their specific characteristics.
Since then, the establishment has grown steadily to the point where they now have a proud fifty-four hectares under cultivation, where they primarily grow and vinify Grüner Veltliner in all its various shapes and sizes – crisp, lively wines as well as supple, almost Burgundian bottlings with a creamy texture. In addition, Forstreiter produces elegant Rieslings, a fine Sauvignon Blanc and the particularly delicious & inviting Gelber Muskateller, accompanied by velvety reds from Zweigelt, Sankt Laurent & Pinot Noir, which are marketed successfully all over the world.
Meinhard Forstreiter’s son Daniel – the fifth generation of the family – is already firmly integrated in the workings of the estate, providing support for his dad in the cellar.
A significant variety in Austria, St. Laurent successfully grows also in the Pfalz and Rheinhessen regions of Germany. As the progeny of both Pinot and Savagnin, St, Laurent creates a finished red with a great deal of finesse not unlike Pinot Noir—but with a deeper color and a touch more body. Somm Secret—St. Laurent is the most widely planted red variety in both the Czech Republic and Slovakia.
The region of considerable geologic diversity and microclimates, Kremstal extends virtually without border east from Wachau along the Danube River. Its magnificent terraced and rocky vineyards in the west alongside Wachau include some of Austria’s most esteemed Riesling vineyards, the (Steiner) Hund and Pfaffenberg, as well as Kögl and Wachtberg nearer to the city of Krems. After Krems, the vineyards become excessively steep upstream around Senftenberg where Riesling and Grüner Veltliner thrive. Grüner Veltliner does best from here east where the soils become a mix of sand, gravel and loess.
Grüner Veltliner and Riesling together comprise two thirds of all of the Kremstal vineyards; the region itself represents about five percent of Austria’s total vineyard area.