Wine & Spirits - April 2020 - 119

YEAR'S BEST AUSTRIAN WINES
zest framing the pink-grapefruit center. It
has grip and succulence, as well as a saline
edge, pointing the wine toward fatty fish, like
halibut, served with greens and a citrus vinaigrette. § Monika Caha Selections/Frederick
Wildman & Sons, NY
276458

91 | Högl

$22

2018 Wachau J&G Riesling Federspiel ^
Högl is based in Spitz, at the very cool western end of the Wachau, but this wine comes
from two vineyards the family owns farther east, toward Weissenkirchen, where it's
warmer and the soils are richer. The ripeness
the sites achieved in 2018 is palpable in this
wine's meaty pineapple tones, and in the radish-like spice that flits around the edges. It's a
succulent, sturdy riesling, ready for bo ssam
or other meaty dishes. § Winemonger Imports,
San Anselmo, CA
275756

91 | Prager

$75

2018 Wachau Wachstum Bodenstein Riesling Smaragd ^ From a high-elevation parcel,
this is bright and cool, with a bit of spritz that
gives it a jaunty feel. The flavors skew herbal
and citric, lime notes ringing out with clarity and drive. Elegant now, this should grow
more complex with time in the cellar. § Craft
+ Estate/Winebow Imports, NY
276613

90 | Schloss Gobelsburg

$20

2018 Kamptal Riesling (Best Buy) ^ This is
riesling to the hilt, from its peachy fruit and
limey acidity to the wet-stone mineral notes
that play around the edges. It's delicate and
full-bodied at once, presenting its flavors
with a sunny brightness and ease. § Terry
Theise Selections/Skurnik Wines & Spirits, NY
276474

90 | Grabenwerkstatt

$102

2018 Wachau Ried Trenning Riesling Smaragd ^ Trenning sits at the farthest end of the
Wachau, at 772 feet in elevation; it's a cold,
windy site of calcareous sandy marl planted
to riesling 60 years ago. But it does get a lot of
sun, thanks to its south-facing exposure, and
that contrast of coolness and warmth comes
through in this 2018's rich whipped-butter
texture. The flavors are reserved and earthy,
with notes of sandalwood, spice and vanillascented broiled peach. It lasts on a distinctly
salty note that makes it mouthwatering. §
Winemonger Imports, San Anselmo, CA
276531

90 | Lagler

$27

2018 Wachau Ried Setzberg Riesling Federspiel ^ This is very rich for a Federspiel, with
honeyed notes of nectarine and pineapple.
The gingery acidity gives it some grip while
an umami note balances the sweetness. For

roast chicken with a smoky spice rub. § M.S.
Walker, Somerville, MA
275651

90 | Rudi Pichler

$105

2018 Wachau Ried Achleithen Riesling
Smaragd ^ This shows the gruffness that this
high, windy site can give, the earthy flavors
punctuated with pithy acidity and pungent
green-herb notes. It's chewy and concentrated, in need of another few years in the cellar to lengthen out. § Craft + Estate/Winebow
Imports, NY
276436

90 | Tegernseerhof

$26

2017 Wachau Dürnstein Riesling Federspiel ^ Ripe and bright, this tastes like sunshine in its notes of pineapple, pollen and
green herbs. It's as clean and pure as a ray of
light. § Artisanal Cellars, NY
276508

87 | Landhaus Mayer

$16

2018 Lower Austria Riesling (Best Buy) ^
Corpulent riesling, plump with sweet lime
flavors and bright in zingy acidity, this is an
easy, fun pour to bring to a Sichuan restaurant. § M.S. Walker, Somerville, MA

ROTER TRAMINER
276790

93 | Neumeister

$40

2017 Vulkanland Steiermark Ried Steintal Roter Traminer ^ Christoph Neumeister
roter traminer is the reference for the variety, a red-skinned variant of savagnin. He
pulls this one from a parcel of sandy loam
mixed with limestone and gravel that was
planted 50 years ago. Fermented spontaneously and aged in old oak barrels, the wine
has scents of roses, candied citrus and Meyer
lemon, its fragrant perfume balanced by a
firm, savory minerality. This vintage seems
leaner than previous ones, with an edge to
the acidity that makes it particularly refreshing. § Monika Caha Selections/Frederick Wildman & Sons, NY

R O T E R V E LT L I N E R
276413

95 | Leth

$35

2017 Wagram Scheiben Roter Veltliner ^
The Leths specialize in roter veltliner, a
once-common variety in Wagram that's
been usurped by grüner veltliner, an unrelated vine that also prefers deep loess soils.
The family has carefully guarded the roter
veltliner in Scheiben, a vineyard of especially rich loess, where their oldest vines
have thrived for half a century. They produce
a powerful wine, opulent and aristocratic in
its golden fruit flavors, notes of mango and
roasted pineapple woven with exotic spice.

An umami richness fills out the texture,
the wine lasting on savory mineral notes. §
Domaine Select Wine Estates, NY

ROTGIPFLER
276545

91 | Heinrich Hartl III

$25

2017 Thermenregion Rotgipfler ^ There's
a peach-fuzz buzz to this rich rotgipfler, a
pleasantly bitter bite to balance its peachand-pineapple flavors. It's earthy, too, in a
leesy, nutty way that makes it feel broad and
round. The tropical fruit and spice give it
an exotic edge, and suggest pouring it with
a vegetable curry. § Artisanal Cellars, White
River Junction, VT

SAUVIGNON BLANC
276687

93 | Tscherne Strauss

$35

91 | Sattlerhof

$19

90 | Lackner-Tinnacher

$27

90 | Neumeister

$27

2018 Südsteiermark Ried Hundsberg Sauvignon Blanc ^ Bettina Strauss runs this winery in the rolling hills of southern Styria. This
wine comes from one of the region's warmest
vineyards, a parcel of sandy soils over gravel,
lime and marl that rises to 1,446 feet above
sea level. Fermented cold, with a four-week
maceration, this sauvignon is powerful, a vast
expanse of broad, smooth, stony flavor highlighted by crisp notes of lavender and lemon,
with snappy acidity. It has the structure to
stand in for a Sancerre. § Artisanal Cellars,
White River Junction, VT
276001
2018 Südsteiermark Sauvignon Blanc
(Best Buy) ^ Snappy sauvignon, this feels
chic and modern in its clean lines and tropical fruit flavors. A saline note at the end kicks
up the underlying herbal notes, making the
wine particularly mouthwatering. § Craft +
Estate/Winebow Imports, NY
276534
2018 Südsteiermark Gamlitz Sauvignon
Blanc ^ This is ripe and round, a supple sauvignon with a rich, nutty earthiness underlying its sweet pear flavors. It feels comfortable and warm, balanced to match a stir-fry
of pork, peppers and scallions. § M.S. Walker,
Somerville, MA
276789
2018 Vulkanland Steiermark Straden Sauvignon Blanc ^ A strident sauvignon blanc,
this balances its loud, grassy flavors with
notes of passion fruit and green olive. It has
the richness to match halibut and sautéed
greens. § Monika Caha Selections/Frederick
Wildman & Sons, NY

WINE & SPIRITS

APRIL 2020

119
Wine & Spirits - April 2020

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Wine & Spirits - April 2020
