wine-info
Austria
Sadly, there isn’t enough Austrian wine! Austria is a country with a strong and historic wine-drinking culture, but it only produces as much wine as a middle-sized region of France, for example the Loire. Export isn’t necessarily a priority for many growers, but fortunately some of the top producers do want to see their wines on a world stage, where they have proved they can shine.
The vineyards all lie in the east of the country, around Vienna, downstream along the Danube to the west, and in a wide band south to Styria. Best known are white wines, particularly from Riesling - which here becomes a dry, high alcohol wine much more in the Alsace style than the German - and Gruner Veltliner, the latter grown in Austria since Roman times and now taking a third of the country’s vineyards. The top examples of both these varieties make very food-friendly wines, with the weight and structure to accompany rich or spicy dishes, and both can age superbly, with the best examples of the latter taking on the minerality and complexity of fine white Burgundy.
Austria is also the source of some of the greatest sweet wines in the world. Key to this is the Neuesiedlersee, an enormous shallow lake south-east of Vienna, which creates a perfect micro-climate for the development of noble rot in the surrounding vineyards through long, warm and dry autumns.
Our growers:
Note - as we do not carry large stocks of Austrian wine, we may not hold examples of all these growers' wines at all times.
Joseph Umathum, Frauenkirchen, Burgenland
On the north side of Lake Nieusiedl, this estate splits its production between reds and sweet whites.
Pittnauer, Gottesbrun, Carnuntum
The Carnuntum lies just east of Vienna. Hot, and with dry autumns, this region has great potential for red wines, now being realised by Gerhard Pittnauer. His reds exemplify all that is best in new Austrian
winemaking: as Giles Macdonogh wrote in The Wine and Food of Austria, they are ‘full and dense, especially his St. Laurents and Zweigelts’.
Wainer Wess, Unterloiben, Wachau
Using largely bought in fruit, Rainer Wess crafts tiny quantities of dry Wachau wines.
Schloss Gobelsburg, Gobelsburg, Kamptal
The historic vineyards of the Schloss Gobelsburg, which belong to the Cistercian monastery of Zwettl, were leased to Michael Moosbrugger in 1996. Since then this has become a model estate.
Weingut Stadt Krems, Kremstal
Fritz Miesbauer rhas revitalised this 35 hectare estate since 200.
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Our Favourite Selection
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Product Code: CHX308
Cape Chamonix, Pinot Noir Reserve, Franschhoek, 2008
“Soft colour. Perfumed, with red fruit overliad by coffee oak. Both juicy and velvety, this is a really classy Pinot with (by Cape standards)...”
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Product Code: FIC508
Domaine Olivier Fichet, Mâcon-Villages, Terroir de Burgy, 2008
“Young Olivier Fichet’s unoaked Chadonnay comes from his 6 hectares of vines in the excellent terroir of the northern Mâconnais near...”
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Product Code: COW305
Domaine Le Couroulu, Vacqueyras, Vieilles Vignes, 2005
“80% Grenache and 20% Syrah, made from two parcels planted on the plateau amidst the garrigue by M. Ricard’s grandparents. Guy says this is the best...”
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Product Code: AUM108
Domaine de l'Aumonier, Touraine Sauvignon, 2008
“Our best selling white wine for the last five years. Pale yellow. Fresh, lightly floral scent. Lots of flavour - lime and ripe grapefruit - and good...”
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Product Code: CAE207
CarinaE, Malbec, Reserva, Mendoza, 2007
“Oaked, mainly in old barrels. Deep purple. Seductive creamy oak nose. Really ripe and fleshy wine, brambly fruit given substance and ageing potential...”
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Product Code: JAC132
Jacquesson, Champagne, Cuvée 732, NV
“Quantities at Jacquesson are tiny, but quality is widely acknowledged as being extremely high. Cuvée 732 is based on the 2004 vintage and sourced...”
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Product Code: PN310
Great New World Pinot
“A mixed case including two bottles of each of the six wines listed, with a discount of 10%”
More Info
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Product Code: MAB108
Mas des Brousses, Chasseur des Brousses, Vin de Pays d’Oc, 2008
“60% Merlot with Grenache and Cinsaut, a wine with Bordelais style from the garrigue. Leafy and herby scents. Black plum and berry core, spiced with...”
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Product Code: Spicedoz
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Product Code: HON108
Honoro Vera, Jumilla, 2008
“Made at Bodegas Juan Gil from 100% Monastrell, organically grown in the mountains north of the city of Murcia. Deep, youthful purple. Very bright and...”
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Product Code: LEN10
Lenten Restraint
“A case of three bottles of each of these four wines, with a discount of just over 10%; a mixed dozen intended simply to put decent, fresh, really well-made wines into your home for daily drinking,...”
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Product Code: MEE107
Meerlust, Chardonnay, Stellenbosch, 2007
“Strong gold tone. Fascinating fragrance: lightly honeyed, and almost herbal, like a Vermouth. Caramel attack, very smooth, with a palate of...”
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