Winemaker Notes
Ripe aromas and flavors, dense, finely woven, great spicy notes, minerally – with a huge life ahead.
Ideal pairings include stuffed calamari from the grill, gratinated mussels, gratinated aubergines, vitello tonnato, and lobster.
Professional Ratings
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James Suckling
The stunningly aromas of lilies, pink grapefruit and exotic fruit pull you into this succulent yet very bright sauvignon that has grace and poise ,in spite of the exceptional ripeness and concentration. Then, just when you think that's it, the finish bowls you off your feet like a rogue wave. This one just doesn't want to stop at the very polished finish. Drink or hold.
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Wine Enthusiast
Like a slender essence of lemon, the faintest thread of bright, zestiness rises shyly from the glass. The palate then expands into a picture of Mirabelle plum framed by zestiness. This is elegant, serene, creamy, bright and luminous. Drink by 2050.
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The 2018 Ried Edelschuh Sauvignon Blanc is coolish, precise and focused on the highly refined, terroir-driven nose that intertwines very fine dark slate aromas with intense yet refined and complex fruit, thanks to the 39- to 70-year-old vines of the Edelschuh "grand cru." On the palate, this full-bodied vin de terroir is textural, refined and elegant, with great balance and expression and a very long and salivating, lemon-scented finish. In comparison with the Riesling, the Sauvignon is also characterized by its 18-months' vinification in 500-liter oak barrels, which give a more textural and tannic performance on the palate. However, this is another extraordinary Edelschuh!
Rating: 93+
Capable of a vast array of styles, Sauvignon Blanc is a crisp, refreshing variety that equally reflects both terroir and varietal character. Though it can vary depending on where it is grown, a couple of commonalities always exist—namely, zesty acidity and intense aromatics. This variety is of French provenance. Somm Secret—Along with Cabernet Franc, Sauvignon Blanc is a proud parent of Cabernet Sauvignon. That green bell pepper aroma that all three varieties share is no coincidence—it comes from a high concentration of pyrazines (herbaceous aromatic compounds) inherent to each member of the family.
Appreciated for superior wines made from indigenous varieties, Austria should be on the radar of any curious wine drinker. A rather cool and dry wine growing region, this country produces wine that is quintessentially European in style: food-friendly with racy acidity, moderate alcohol and fresh fruit flavors.
Austria’s viticultural history is rich and vast, dating back to Celtic tribes with first written record of winemaking starting with the Romans. But the 20th century brought Austria a series of winemaking obstacles, namely the plunder of both world wars, as well as its own self-imposed quality breach. In the mid 1980s, after a handful of shameless vintners were found to have added diethylene glycol (a toxic substance) to their sweet wines to imitate the unctuous qualities imparted by botrytis, Austria’s credibility as a wine-producing country was compromised. While no one was harmed, the incident forced the country to rebound and recover stronger than ever. By the 1990s, Austria was back on the playing field with exports and today is prized globally for its quality standards and dedication to purity and excellence.
Grüner Veltliner, known for its racy acidity and herbal, peppery aromatics, is Austria's most important white variety, comprising nearly a third of Austrian plantings. Riesling in Austria is high in quality but not quantity, planted on less than 5% of the country’s vineyard land. Austrian Rieslings are almost always dry and are full of bright citrus flavors and good acidity. Red varietal wines include the tart and peppery Zweigelt, spicy and dense Blaufränkisch and juicy Saint Laurent. These red varieties are also sometimes blended.