Austrian wines at Dallmayr's 09 spring tasting
E.W. Polz, Südsteiermark, had two great Sauvignon Blancs on display:
The 2008 "Steinbach" (27,50) had enormous zest and spritziness, a burst of green flavours like a flowering meadow in may, mint, cassis.
The 2007 "Hochgrassnitzberg" (27,50) had been left to age with the yeast for a year longer, and was completely different: Yellow flavours, creamy, yellow peppers maybe, something that tasted like nutty oak but wasn't, as I was assured no barriques had been used. Very intense as well.
Stefan Potzinger, also Südsteiermark, convinced me less. His 2008 Morillon (=Chardonnay) "Ratsch" (13,90) was nice, but boring, and his 2007 Sauvignon blanc "Joseph" (26,90) was wildly overoaked - no comparison with the spicy and lively one by Polz.
Moric, Mittelburgenland, again had an impressive array of superfine, but forbiddingly priced Blaufränkischs: The 2007 'simple' Blaufränkisch (25,50) was fresh, with great juniper spice and finely structured tannin. The 2007 Lutzmannsburg Alte Reben and 2007 Neckenmarkt Alte Reben (49,90 each) were fantastic: Incredibly transparent, pure flavours of fresh red berries, ripe plums, green wood. It's no wonder at all that when I came to taste those, I found Ziereisen already there, chatting up the Moric guys. I would uncomplainingly lay down this sort of money if I could.
Velich, Neusiedlersee had two great Chardonnays: Both the 2007 "Darscho" (19,90) and its older-vine brother, the 2007 "Tiglat" (36,50) had noticeable oak that seemed well integrated and brought spice and length. The "Tiglat" was maybe the most complex dry white I had there, with herbal, cough medicine and salty sherry notes.
Schloss Gobelsburg, Kamptal, had an 2008 Grüner Veltliner "Grub" (23,50) that I found somewhat stale due to a lack of acidity, and the excellent 2007 Grüner Veltliner "Tradition" (21,50) which brought out the herbal tea notes, the pepper and the minerality.
I then finished with Bernhard Ott, Wagram, and his two 2008 Veltliners "Der Ott" (18,50), which was much more elegant than the more powerful Schloss Gobelsburgs, and should be more fun to drink, as well as the "Rosenberg" (25,50) which seemed very young and a little too clean, but also very herbal.
That's it for this year's Dallmayr, I wish I could afford their prices.