Posted
by Michael Tulipan
on Sep 24, 2012
in Features
Vienna may have 300 wine growers, but few are as passionate and forward-thinking as Fritz Wieninger. Overseeing the family winery started by his father in the 1960s, Fritz has not only grown its output and reputation but also reoriented it to the future by converting to biodynamic practices. The 2011 vintage is the first to feature biodynamic wines, currently numbering eight different bottlings.
Sipping wine with Fritz next door to the family heuriger, now run by his brother, we talk about the struggles of making wine in Vienna and the responsibility of winemakers to future generations. After a stint in Napa Valley, he took over the winery in 1987 and, in 1999, picked up land at the highly regarded Nussberg vineyard. In the intervening years, Fritz became a champion of the city’s wines and its typical white wine, Gemischter Satz, a field blend of various grape varietals grown together. But his biggest leap was to biodynamics, a process he began in 2008.
When I ask what precipitated the change, he mentions his three children, saying he grew concerned for the future and that it was “my duty to do something.” He had noticed the downward spiral of ever worse results from spraying, reaching as he calls it a “dead end” in 2005. “And at the end of the day it’s better for the quality of the wine,” he concluded.
A tasting of the 2011 vintage yields a good overview of the potential of Viennese wine. Lying on both sides of the Danube, his two sites, Bisamberg and Nussberg, are vastly different though part of the same city. Near the winery north of the Danube, Bisamberg has sandy, loess soil while Nussberg, one-third of his lands, which he refers to as the “better site,” sits on limestone.
With an able assist from his young son Max opening our bottles, the tasting included several biodynamic wines, including two 2011 Gruner Veltliners from Herrenholz and Nussberg. The Herrenholz, grown on sandy soil in Bisamberg, was fresh and high in acid while the Nussberg showed nice minerality with potential to age for years. Rosengartl in Nussberg represents Wieninger’s top cru and his 2011 Alte Reben showed a high acidity upfront with excellent structure. The 2011 Nussberg Riesling finds the perfect terroir in this vineyard, producing a balanced wine with a hint of honey and stone fruit.
While his own vineyards are 100% biodynamic, Fritz also rents some land tilled in the traditional fashion so his Gemischter Satz is not yet biodynamic. But with an eye to the future, his goal is to soon change that, as well introduce organic principles to his fellow winemakers. The next act for Vienna’s wine ambassador may be a challenge but if anyone is up for it, it’s Fritz Wieninger.
Michael Tulipan is the Editor of TheSavvyExplorer.com, a travel guide for sophisticated independent travelers on a budget.
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Posted
by Michael Tulipan
on Jun 29, 2012
in Features
A visit to Umathum starts in the vineyards behind the winery in the town of Frauenkirchen in Austria’s Burgenland region. Second generation winemaker Josef Umathum takes you through his facility and out back to explain how the rows are tended. We pass his father carrying a basket of verdant snap peas. “Bio,” he says, using a European term not needing translation, “For soup.” He offers one and I take it in my hand, then pop it in my mouth. It tastes green and alive, with a pleasing crunch. “Bio” indeed, evoking a winery certified biodynamic since 2006 and insecticide-free since the 1980s.
Snap peas are nice, but we were there to see vineyards and the integration of biodynamic practices. With the dry summer approaching, the greenery growing between the vines has been plowed down, forming a moisture barrier for the soil. A landscape architect by trade, Josef scoops up the dark brown, nutrient-rich soil with evident pride.
Back inside the soaring cathedral-like wine cellar, we peer at the barrel where cow manure, buried in the ground in a horn over the winter then dug up, known as Preparation 500, is stirred into a large volume of water for an hour to be spread at the start of the growing season. “From death back to life,” Josef says, the side of the barrel adorned with markings depicting the cycle of the moon, planets and various herbal treatments for the vines.
Umathum’s vineyards sit on the plains of Burgenland, tucked between a shallow lake called the Neusiedler See and the Hungarian border. The area is famous for its sweet wines, though reds are what Umathum is known for, with 85% of their production comprised of Blaufrankisch, Zweigelt and St. Laurent. For our tasting, we started with a delicious rose redolent of fresh berries called Rosa 2011, made by the saignée method of bleeding off some juice after short skin contact. Then we dove straight into the reds as Josef poured a 2011 Zweigelt, an entry level red for the winery but from an excellent vintage in Burgenland. Although very young, it had nice fruit and good intensity, far beyond your typical basic wine and emblematic of the year’s quality. To show the wine’s potential, we sampled the same entry-level Zweigelt from 1999, another great vintage, that was impossibly fresh and vibrant for its age, fantastic for what is the winery’s basic wine.
We moved on to two single vineyard Zweigelts from the Ried Hallebühl, the highest point east of the lake, known for producing elegant wines. Both wines incorporate some stems for additional backbone. The 2007 displayed minerality and a great structure, perfect for aging, while the 1997, another terrific vintage, mirrored the previous ’99 in its freshness, seeming younger than the 2007.
The two Blaufrankischs tasted were both from Kirschgarten, a terraced vineyard in Jois that dates back to 1214. Josef took over this prized but abandoned parcel and replanted it in 2001, though local authorities initially balked at the venture. Only old photos and the word of an elderly local resident convinced officials that the hill was indeed historically a vineyard, allowing planting to proceed. The 2003 vintage was infamous throughout Europe for its intense heat wave yet Josef’s first vintage on the hill proved vibrant with great structure and power, well suited for long term aging. The 2008, by contrast a challenging but ultimately rewarding year, was a big wine with many years to go.
Only 1% of Umathum’s production is dessert wines and, for the finale, we sampled three. While the wines are generally designated BA (beerenauslese) or TBA (trockenbeerenauslese), the 2009 only reached auslese status. This blend of chardonnay and scheurebe, only 8% ABV, had prominent notes of pineapple and was fresh with appealing level of sweetness. The 2011 Beerenauslese, also a blend of chardonnay and scheurebe, was more concentrated, with notes of apple. Best of all was the 2010 Trockenbeerenauslese, 100% scheurebe, displaying terrific balance thanks to good acidity.
If you visit the winery, don’t leave without one of the delicious stone fruit or nut oils made from tomato seeds, walnuts, pumpkin seeds and apricot pits, or a vinegar made from peaches growing in the vineyards.
Michael Tulipan is the Editor of TheSavvyExplorer.com, a travel guide for sophisticated independent travelers on a budget.
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Posted
by Michael Tulipan
on Oct 17, 2011
in Features
In the southernmost part of Champagne, the small family-run winery of Jacques Lassaigne is producing mineral-driven organic champagnes that are a noticeable departure from those of the more famous large houses headquartered in the northern part of the region.
Overseen today by Jacques’ son Emmanuel, the small winery sits perched atop a chalk hill in the town of Montgueux, with sweeping views of the valley stretching south to Chablis. Lassaigne owns 4.7 hectares of vineyards on the surrounding hills, with vines ranging from 35 to 55 years old, and also buys a small amount of grapes from a neighbor.
For Emmanuel, great champagne starts with making a good wine and that philosophy permeates every aspect of the winemaking process. Grapes are harvested only by hand and the yield is kept low. Once the grapes are harvested in mid-September, they are deposited into a press which dates back to 1957. Technology never interferes in the process, from the pressing to the use of gravity to move the juice through the floor, which itself acts as a filter of sorts and removes the need for filtration. To keep the personality of each vineyard, each parcel is vinified separately and then the wines are placed in barrels for 12 to 24 months. After being disgorged, the wines rest for an additional 4 to 6 months before going to market.
Lassaigne produces six cuvees, using mostly chardonnay with a small amount of pinot noir for his rosé. The house style is evident in each – minerality, citrus and exotic fruits. The Les Vignes de Montgueux, always a blend of two successive vintages of chardonnay from nine different plots, makes an excellent aperitif. The Rosé de Montgueux, made of 80% chardonnay and 20% pinot noir with no added sulfur, is fresh and fruity. Le Cotet is 100% chardonnay from the chalky single vineyard of the same name and delightfully fresh and vibrant. More complex with a richness derived from an older base is the La Colline Inspirée, a blend when tasted of barrel aged 2006 (80%) and 2000 (20%) vintages. Only available in magnums, this is truly an outstanding champagne.
Michael Tulipan is the Editor of TheSavvyExplorer.com, a travel guide for sophisticated independent travelers on a budget.
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Posted
by Michael Tulipan
on Oct 6, 2011
in Features
If you only know the marketing scheme known as Beaujolais Nouveau – thank you Georges DeBoeuf and friends – then you really don’t know Beaujolais at all. This region of low, rolling hills an hour north of Lyon on the road to Dijon, is full of winemakers producing complex, interesting wines. One such winemaker is Jean-Claude Chanudet, a burly man with a dry sense of humor, who together with his wife Genevieve run Domaine Joseph Chamonard in Corcelette, near the town of Villié-Morgon.
Genevieve’s father, Joseph Chamonard, once called a “garrulous joker” by Saveur Magazine, was one of a pioneering group of area winemakers that bucked the trend towards more modern methods and embraced traditional means of winemaking. Chanudet continues to uphold the tradition of his late father-in-law by interfering as little as possible in the winemaking process. All the grapes on his 4 ½ hectares are picked by hand and he follows organic practices, though his wines are not certified. Unlike others in Beaujolais, he picks his grapes as belatedly as late September, when they are very ripe and bursting with flavor. The wines undergo natural fermentation, without added yeast, and no sulfites are added. Yet the well structured, intense wines can age for twenty years or more.
The wines tasted were the opposite of thin, fruity Beaujolais Nouveau commonly found in the U.S. every Autumn. Each was bold with ripe fruit and solid structure. The 2007 Morgon showed well but was young and will age for years, while the 2008 Morgon was lighter with more fruit, in part due to lots of mildew in a difficult year. Surprisingly, the 2009 Morgon, in bottle just months, was already very well balanced and extremely aromatic. Chanudet suggested it could age twenty years without a problem. A 2007 Fleurie, made from soil where the earth has more granite, was more elegant and lighter than the muscular Morgons.
Older vintages were big but offered real insight to the aging potential of the wines, with the Morgons feeling masculine and the Fleurie representing the softer, more feminine side of the region. The 1993 Morgon was still huge, but well structured, as was the 1995 Morgon, which showed more fruit and softened quickly with air exposure. The 1989 Morgon was best of the group, showing some oxidation to balance the fruit – simply a beautiful wine. The 2003 Fleurie was elegant and delicious.
Chanudet stands for tradition and non-intervention in a time where his peers use technology to churn out forgettable wines. While destined not to be as famous as Dubouef, he makes wines his father-in-law would be proud of. That’s enough for him.
Michael Tulipan is the Editor of TheSavvyExplorer.com, a travel guide for sophisticated independent travelers on a budget.
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Posted
by Michael Tulipan
on Nov 10, 2009
in Features
Stanko Radikon’s is making some of the most striking and unusual wines coming out of Italy’s Friuli Venezia Giulia today. His uncompromising views have brought him acclaim and a devoted following around the world. He acknowledges that his wines are not for everyone. They are unusual enough to make our sommelier in Venice ask if we knew what we were ordering. I assured him that we did, and that we were off to Friuli to visit Radikon himself.
Radikon’s land hugs the side of a hill in Oslavia, nestled between the town of Gorizia and the Slovenian border. To the north are the Julian Alps, which help block the cold continental winter winds that could damage the vines, and to the south, less than twenty miles away, is the Adriatic Sea. The sun-soaked vineyard faces south and southeast, unfolding beneath a winery that looks like a cantina out of the old west. A true natural winemaker, Stanko has gone past what is considered organic, eschewing all chemical treatments since 1995, even when it means losing grapes. He also stopped adding sulfites in 2002. Due to the vertical nature of the land, most tasks have to be done by hand and the vines are trimmed to produce fewer bunches, generally four to five per vine, resulting in more concentrated juice.
Like most Friuli wineries, Radikon is a family affair. Stanko’s son Sasa is an enthusiastic guide as he takes us through the cellar, stopping to taste wines at different stages of the aging process. Where many winemakers would be content to bottle their wine, Sasa emphasizes theirs has time to go. I ask, “How long?” He answers, “Until my father feels it is ready.”
Radikon wines are notable for several reasons, especially the amount of time invested in them and the natural methods employed. Once de-stemmed, grapes experience an extra long maceration on the skins in cone-shaped vats. Starting in 1995 Stanko tried anywhere from seven days to nine months before settling on about four months in 2005. During this period, the grapes are stirred three or four times a day then go through a double extraction, the first caused by water and the second by alcohol. The wines are aged a minimum of three years in large oak casks, followed by at least another year in the bottle before being released.
In the interim, the wines receive no added sulfites and they are not filtered before being bottled. The end result is an amazingly complex and profound wine that can age for years, even a decade or more. While not adding sulfites can make wines less stable, according to Stanko the long maceration results in substances being extracted from the grapes that protect the wine and allow it to age, creating wines, that are in his words, “totally genuine.”
Four wines make up the Radikon line, Jakot (a reverse play on the now verboten Tocai), Ribolla Gialla, Oslavje (a blend of chardonnay, pinot grigio and sauvignon blanc) and Merlot. While best known for its whites, which are characterized by rich gold to copper hues, cloudiness, deep aromas and complexity, Radikon’s sole red, merlot, is a true expression of the grape and not to be missed.
Ever the radical, Stanko decided to bottle much of the wine in 500ml and 1 liter bottles, though he also uses 750ml bottles for the American market. His feeling is that the 500ml is perfect for one and the liter ideal for two. I couldn’t agree more.
Tasting Notes:
Multiple vintages of several wines were tasted, including many barrel samples; notes below are for current releases – 2004 for whites and 2000 for the Merlot. Each of the new releases was delicious and perfectly ready to be drunk, and also well suited for aging. It is important to note that Radikon wines should be served at particular temperatures, around 60° for the whites and 65° for the reds. Stanko is adamant they not be stored in the refrigerator. Expect the whites to be cloudy since they are unfiltered.
2004 Jakot 13.65%
The name is a backwards play on Tocai (tokaj), which is no longer allowed to be used in Italy and is now generally marketed as Friulano. Lovely, fresh and well balanced with notes of stone fruit and almonds.
2004 Ribolla Gialla 12.5%
Probably the best known of Radikon’s wines in the US. Intensely gold with aromas of fruit and wild flowers, the wine reveals minerals and tannins on the palate, rounded out by more fruit, florals and a touch of spice. Complex, seductive and delicious.
2004 Oslavje 13.2%
A blend of chardonnay, pinot grigio and sauvignon blanc with a deep gold hue and hints of stone fruit and apple on the nose. A complex, elegant wine whose perfume, depth, minerality and richness are the perfect embodiment of the Radikon philosophy.
1999 Oslavje Riserva
Deep gold tones hint at what’s to come with ripe tropical fruits, dried fruits and honey following on the nose and palate. A rewarding experience showing off Radikon’s trademark complex flavors, depth and uncommon richness.
2000 Merlot 14.5%
While the region is mostly known for its splendid whites, some of the reds are not to be missed and merlot does very well along with the native refosco of Friuli’s Carso region. Radikon’s merlot is a beautiful expression of the grape – deep garnet red, dusty and vegetal on the nose at first, with herbal notes, it gives way to raisiny dried fruit, dried herbs and intense velvety ripe cherries and spice on the palate. Medium bodied and gorgeous, it takes a little time to reveal itself but patience will be handsomely rewarded.
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Posted
by Michael Tulipan
on Jul 17, 2009
in Features
The Slovenian town of Gorjansko is too small to need traffic signals. Nestled in the hills, just a few kilometers from the Italian border, it is the home of Branko Cotar one of the country’s foremost practitioners of organic winemaking.
Cotar, who works with his son Vasja, began making wine in 1974 for a restaurant he owned in town. Finding he had more passion for winemaking, he closed the restaurant in 1988 and turned his full attention to wine.
Cotar’s wines speak of the rocky, limestone Karst region (Kras in Slovenian, Carso on the Italian side) and its “terra rossa,” the deep red, iron-rich topsoil that has to be brought in to cover the solid limestone, which itself needs to be broken up beforehand in order to cultivate vines – a difficult, expensive and time consuming process. Cotar’s seven hectares of land average 30 centimeters of soil on top of the limestone and are certified organic. The location near the sea (5 km from the coast) and dry climate also contribute to the grape growing process – cooling winds from the sea and mountains bring down temperatures at night and, together with the fierce winter winds of the area known as “bora,” keep the vines dry.
Cotar cultivates native and international varieties, split equally between whites and reds. Local white varietals Vitovska and Malvasia Istriana are grown along with Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc, while reds include Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon and the native Refosco, from which the best known local red Teran is made. The yield is low as well, about 3,500 to 4,000 kg per hectare (or about one bottle of wine per plant), with the winery’s total annual production in the range of 35,000 bottles.
Branko and Vasja oversee the process the way their ancestors did or, as Branko puts it, the wine is “history in a glass.” Vines are tended and harvested by hand, and the Cotars do not use herbicides or pesticides. No enzymes are used during maceration, which takes four to ten days for whites and ten to twenty days for reds. Fermentation takes place without cooling the grape solids or added sulfites, and only indigenous yeasts are used.
As the process progresses, the wine descends deeper into the cellar, which is dug into the natural rock, offering natural climate control. Whites are aged from two to three years and reds five to six years before they are released. The Cotars never filter their wines and add only a tiny amount of sulfites to some of them right before bottling, about 10 mg per liter for both whites and reds. For the past ten years, Branko has also patiently aged several barrels of vinjak brandy, which he will bottle this year. Alfonso Iaccarino, the owner of Don Alfonso 1890, a Michelin starred restaurant in Sorrento, Italy, already has his name on a case.
The Cotars’ devotion to their wines is reflected on the bottle labels, which have the father’s and son’s fingerprints on them as a sign of confidence in the quality, as well as their individuality and uniqueness – Branko’s on the reds and Vasja’s on the whites. If you can find the wines (currently available in Italy, Germany, Japan and Eastern European countries – but hope for the United States may be on the way courtesy of Joe Dressner), they exhibit incredible depth of flavor and elegance. The reds can easily age for a decade or more and the whites also do well with some age on them.
Tasting Notes:
2006 Vitovska 12.5%
Indigenous varietal that’s not well known in the US, which is a shame as it is delicious and fresh with crisp elegance and minerality. Beautiful deep golden yellow. Terrific with cheese.
2004 Malvasia 12.8%
Deep golden yellow. Dry, full body, not much fruit. 2 weeks’ maceration on skins.
2007 Blend of Vitovska, Malvasia and Friulano
Deep rich golden yellow. Dry and complex. Potential to age 10 years. No sulfites added. (This wine has not been released yet.)
2004 Sauvignon 12.8%
This is no green grassy New Zealand sauvignon blanc. Intense aroma; ripe fruit develops to even more richness and toasty brioche flavors. Full, creamy, delicious. Excellent.
2007 Teran 11.5%
Made from refosco grapes. Young with bright acidity and a deep ruby with purple hues. Blueberries, cherries and violets on the nose, hints of fresh cut grass. Slightly tannic. Would complement grilled meats beautifully or the local pršut (prosciutto).
2003 Teran 11.8%
Interesting tasted alongside the fresh, racy 2007. This is all grown up with flavors of cooked red/berry fruit; mellow and soft. In the barrel for 5 years.
2001 Merlot 13%
Ripe fruit, deep and complex with hints of berries and herbs. Ripe tannins round out the minerality. Very good. 3 week maceration, 6 years in barrels.
2001 Cabernet Sauvignon 13%
Ruby color with a complex aroma of dark fruit, spices, balsamic and a faint coffee note. Plenty of freshness and tannins – amazingly young and fresh tasting for a 2001 wine. Will continue to develop for years to come. Minerality reflective of the rocky Karst terrain.
2001 Terra Rossa 13% (40% Teran, 40% Merlot, 20% Cabernet Sauvignon)
Ruby with deep shades of purple. Intense fruity bouquet redolent of plums and blueberries with spicy and herbal notes and hints of coffee grounds. Warm, soft and full of ripe tannins.
2004 Crna Penina 11.5%
A dry sparkling red made from Teran. No sugar solution or yeast added for second fermentation, instead the Cotars use must from dried grapes. No dosage and no disgorgement result in an unusual but delicious dry sparkling red wine. Excellent hot weather option and good match for seafood, cheese, prosciutto and anything grilled or barbecued.
2003 Passito 14.5%
Dark and complex dessert wine made with refosco grapes. The grapes are collected in October in wooden boxes, in which they dry until the end of February, when they are pressed and fermented. The passito is aged for 5 and half years. No sulfites added.
2003 Sladkominka 14.5%
Made from several vintages of Malvasia Istriana in a method similar to Solera. Lightly oxidized notes, delicious dried fruit flavors. No sulfites added.
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