Alternative Austria: a seminar on natural wines from some of Austria’s most exciting producers
Austrian Alternative wines with Aleks Zecevic, as part of Alberg Weinberg 2024
Alex was 19 when he got into wine, and his brother became a partner in a wine shop in Manhattan. Two years later a friend of his took him to a Jura natural wine tasting, and this was his first encounter with well made natural wine. He studied philosophy and marketing, and he tried looking for a job in wine, but not gastronomy or retail. So he began working with the Wine Spectator, and he worked there seven years in the tasting department. This gave him the chance to try 200-300 wines a week. After that he worked for Sotheby’s, tasting classic fine wines. He never really gave up on natural wine, and most of what he drinks now are natural wines. This is his selection of alternative Austrian wines.
They don’t get to put their region on a label, and this is a big missed opportunity for Austria, says Alex. A lot of people find these to be fine wines on export markets, and all you can tell about them is that they are Austrian. Chris Yorke said when he took over at Wines of Austria, he found 20% of exports by value were not-quality wines which were selling for more than quality wines. In Canada these were 30-40%, and in Tokyo and Korea they were more than 50%.
Franz Strohmeier Sekt Brut Nature Schilcher The Spiral 2014 Österreich
11.5% alcohol. From western Steiermark, opok soils. Traditional method. Golden brown in colour. Savoury and quite earthy on the nose. This is quite oxidised with really high acidity. Extremely lemony and then there are earthy, spicy, orange peel notes. Very distinctive. 83/100
Christoph Hoch Sekt Brut Nature Kalkreich NV Österreich
11% alcohol. This is from Burgenland. Full orange/gold with some brown hints. Naturally made sparkling: base wine is aged in barrel and then bottled with some fermenting must from the following year, then it’s disgorged. Powerful, spicy, some oxidative hints as well as lively citrus fruit, finishing bright with high acidity. Powerful stuff, with nice mineral notes in the mix, but quite oxidative. 89/100
Von der Vogelwaide Grüner Veltliner Tandaradai 2022 Weinland
12.5% alcohol. This is from the Wachau. Powerful and intense with bold citrus fruit as well as pear and melon, showing some creaminess to the texture and also some spicy detail. Such crystalline detail here with lovely precision and intensity, and a slight sweetness to the acidity. 94/100
Wabi Sabi Wine Riesling Aqualeiten L 22 Österreich
12% alcohol. Wachau. Achleiten vineyard. Lively, bright and lemony with a lovely acid line and some nice grainy texture. Juicy and linear with a bit of grip on the finish: nice phenolics here. Finishes bright and lemony with just a twist of wildness. 93/100
Christian Tschida Riesling Laissez Faire 2022 Burgenland
12% alcohol. On the Leithaberg, which used to be a coast on the Pannonian sea, with limestone at the bottom and schist at the top. 9000 vines/ha on this site. Very fine, rich and crystalline with lovely citrus, some pear and a touch of sweet melon. Chalky and detailed with lots of texture. Such density and complexity here: very fine. 95/100
Wenzel Furmint Stockkultur Alte Reben 2023 Weinland
12.5% alcohol. From Rust, in Burgenland. Planted in 1985, organically farmed since 2008. A variety making a come back in Austria because it preserves acidity even in warm climates. Striking and mineral with lovely citrus fruit and some stony minerality. Nicely intense with lovely purity and a crystalline mineral character under transparent lemony fruit. So fine. 95/100
Maria & Sepp Muster Morillon Graf 2020 Osterreich
12.5% alcohol. From Steiermark. This is beautifully layered with a chalky, stony undercurrent to the ripe lime and melon fruit, with a crystalline quality and lovely acidity. There’s an amazing granularity to this wine, and a good acid line, with amazing purity and tension. No added sulfites here. Finishes with thrilling, tensile acidity. 95/100
Straka Welschriesling 3330 2021 Burgenland
13% alcohol. This has some spicy phenolic character with some strong mineral character. It shows lively acidity and bright citrus fruit but the phenolic character (Brettanomyces?) is a bit of distraction. 82/100
Martin & Anna Arndorfer Rosé Zweigelt Rosa Marie 2023 Österreich
11% alcohol. Loess soils. Zweigelt pressed over the skins of Grüner Veltliner. Cloudy faded red colour. Zippy and stony with some red cherries and wild strawberries with nice acidity and a bit of grippiness. Lovely freshness and detail and interesting texture in the mouth. Finishes with a nice sour twist. 93/100
Ploder-Rosenberg Souvignier Gris Linea 500 2017 Steiermark
13.5% alcohol. Cloudy orange/gold colour. Textured, fresh and quite harmonious with some nice tannins and good acidity. Some marmalade/orange peel notes and bright acidity on the finish. Lovely balance here with some brightness on the finish, which is quite dry. 91/100
Werlitsch Glück 2020 Österreich
12.5% alcohol. Chardonnay and Sauvignon from his ex vero II vineyard, opok soils, no added sulfites. Very cloudy full yellow colour. Aromatic, bright and alive with some pear and peach fruit and some nice acidity. Crystalline and detailed with a spicy bite. Nice structure here with a tapering, tangy finish. A lovely wine showing real interest, heading off in a phenolic direction but drinking beautifully now. 94/100
Rosi Schuster St Laurent Rusterberg Ried Repistye Zagersdorf 2022 Burgenland
Old vines from 1959. Lovely taut aromatics here with pure red cherry and raspberry fruit with nice acidity and structure. Fresh and well defined with lovely focus and brightness. Such a lovely, juicy but substantial red with real presence and elegance. 95/100
Johannes Trapl Blaufränkisch Ried Prellenkirchner Spitzerberg 1OTW 2020 Carnuntum
13% alcohol. Only addition is 10 mg/l sulfites just before bottling. This is fine, mineral and detailed with lovely raspberry and wild strawberry fruit showing lovely purity and focus. Very fine and detailed with hints of wild herbs and a twist of leather, finishing finely spiced and tapering. Beautifully expressive with nice balance, and savoury detail. 94/100
Gut Oggau Joschuari Rot 2021 Österreich
13% alcohol. From Burgenland, mostly Blaufränkisch, fermented in a 3000 litre oak barrel, aged on lees, no added sulfites. Lively and bright with lots of energy and some tangy acidity supporting the red cherry and raspberry fruit. There’s some phenolic quality on the finishing and just a touch of wildness, finishing lively and spicy. Lots of energy here. 93/100
Weninger Blaufränkisch Say 2021 Weinland
14% alcohol. From Eisenberg. This is lively and bright with nice intensity and concentrated cherry and berry fruit with a touch of raspberry freshness. Lovely fruit intensity here with a slightly wild mineral streak, and bloody notes. So alluring but also complex and edgy. 94/100
