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Austrian
wines
Part
2: Neckenmarkt
Winzenkeller Neckenmarkt, Harkauwerg 2, A-7311
Neckenmarkt, Austria
Website: www.neckenmarkt.at
My Austrian journey begins rather unpredictably. Austria is known best
for its whites; in particular
Grüner Veltliner
and Riesling from the Wachau and
its neighbouring regions the Kremstal and Kamptal. But we’re
beginning with Burgenland, which is red wine country, and the
Neckenmarkt  cooperative.
I guess it’s a good starting point: it stops us getting in a rut,
zoning in on just one region and style. It reminds us that Austria is
actually a reasonably diverse wine country; it makes some serious reds
as well as fabulous whites.
Neckenmarkt is an old market town that until the late
middle ages gained great importance from being located on a trade
route stretching from the Baltic to the Mediterranean. Wine has been
made here for centuries, but the winemaking scene here assumed its
modern shape only after the phylloxera disaster in the late 19th
century, when vineyards were replanted with the sorts of varieties
seen today. These include the Blaufränkisch, the most important grape
of the region, which has its origins here.
The cooperative at Neckenmarkt was born under rather
difficult circumstances. Abundant harvests in 1966 (THE world cup
year) and 1967 (my birth year) resulted in a saturated marketplace and
in 1968 growers were being offered less than cost for their grapes.
The Mayor of Neckenmarkt, Karl Heincz, persuaded the growers to form a
cooperative. In 1968 243 growers joined, and this has now risen to
over 300, managing 300 hectares of vineyards. Even the mathematically
challenged will realize that the average holding is quite small, and
90% of these growers manage their vineyards on a part-time basis.
 |
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| Cellar master
Joseph Tesch |
A sign marking an
'8-grapes' vineyard holding |
From 700 000 kilos of grapes in 1968, the co-op
processes 2–2.3 million kilos per year, which is about 1% of
Austria’s total harvest, and approximately 5% of all Austrian reds.
That’s because Neckenmarkt is primarily a red wine operation, with
just 2% of its production white.
How do you ensure quality winegrowing when you are
managing a coop? Neckenmarkt take two approaches. First, they have two
employees dedicated to helping out the growers. The growers listen to
their advice, because their payment depends on how successful their
work is. Second, the payment structure is determined by the sugar
ripeness of the grapes. Of course, this would be barmy in the new
world, but in classic old world wine regions sugar ripeness is a good
proxy for phenolic ripeness (grapes generally only reach high sugar
levels when they are physiologically ripe in cooler climates). The
figures depend on the vintage, but in 2003 85 oeschle was the average,
and they paid 73 c/kilo for this, 5% more for 86 oeschle, 10% more for
87 oeschle and so on. Typical yields are 8.5 Tonnes/hectare, down from
about 12 a decade ago.
In addition, there has been a novel ‘8-grape
program’, which involves about a tenth of the vineyards. Growers
signing up to this must have vines aged at least 25 years, ad in the
best locations. They agree to reduce yields to between 5 and 6
tons/hectare, for which they receive a supplement of more than
€7000.
Climate: Central Burgenland is located between the
Pannonian (continental, very dry) and Illyric (affected by lows over
the Adriatic sea, with more rain) climates. It has long summers and
lots of sunshine, which makes it good for red wines. There is some
climatic influence from the Neusidler lake. The soils: more gravel and
shale makes the wines delicate, lighter and ‘more playful’; more
loess makes them fatter and richer.
The
wines
 Zweigelt
2004 (just fermenting)
Amazing vivid red/purple colour (see right). Harvested at
90 oeschle on 1 October (tasted on 15th) and pressed on 12th October.
Very fresh and intense with bright vivid fruit and lovely smooth
tannins. Good concentration and very tasty. Zweigelt ripens early.
Zweigelt Classic 2003
Very sweet, open berry and black fruits nose. The palate is fresh
and fruity with nice open, slightly sweet fruit and a nice subtle
spicy structure. Very smooth and quite elegant: a mellow wine. Soft
and compact, with a bit of structure: a lovely accessible red. Just
stainless steel used. Very good+ 89/100
Blaufränkisch Hochberg 2003
Appealing nose of brambly berry fruits with a spicy edge. The
palate is quite structured with nice chewy, spicy fruit and quite a
bit of tannin. A very savoury style: nice and chewy, a good food wine.
Just stainless steel used here. Very good+ 88/100
 Blaufränkisch
Himmelsthron 2002
Dense colour. Quite an oaky nose with savoury vanilla and
chocolate notes accompanying the sweet fruit. The palate is chunky and
bold with lots of oak. Savoury and spicy: oak is a bit too obvious for
me. Very good 84/100
Via Romana 2002
A blend of 40% Blaufränkisch, 40% Cabernet Sauvignon and 20%
Zweigelt. Quite an intense, savoury nose with some spicy oak overlay
to the dark fruits. The palate is structured and savoury with nice
spicy tannins. A bold, rich style of wine with noticeable oak, showing
just a touch clumsily at the moment. Dense, chewy and spicy. Very
good+ 87/100
Porto Magica 2002
Mostly Blaufränkisch with a touch of Cabernet and Zweigelt, this
flagship wine is named ‘magic potion’. It has a forward, sweet
dense nose with vanilla, spice, hints of tar and some ripe dark
fruits. The palate is complex and dense with taut spicy berry and
black fruits and a fair bit of oak influence. Good potential for
ageing, and as this has only been bottled recently I’d take my
rating as provisional. Very good+ 88/100
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