Wine Region: Burgenland

(2013) Entry level wine, not exported. Has lovely fresh and crisp aromatics. Nice gentle nutty leesiness, has good richness and fresh but fruity palate. Lots of apple citrus. Long.

(2013) Orange peel and lemon rind, that citrus skin and melon skin richness. Again a nuttiness to this and developing toasty notes. Lovely ripe fruit from vineyards facing the lake, all planted on limestone. Lovely fruity richness, texture and grip. Beautifully focused lime skin tang to the finish. Delicious and long.

(2013) Leithaberg DAC wines cannot be single vineyards, but must be representative of the region, approved by tasting committee. This has more than three days on skins and is fermented in barrel and left on lees for four months. Even richer and grippier, the nose has a touch of the orange blossom lightness to offset the concentration. The palate has huge juicy, grapefruity presence. There is a natural sweet ripeness here giving huge intensity.

(2013) A bigger site that encompasses five vineyards. Mostly loamy soils with iron. Rich, ripe black fruits, there is some spiciness, some tobacco and warmth, but the blue/black fruit is all there. The palate has delicious sweet fruited ripeness, with blackcurrant and intense black damson plum, the chocoalty depth of the tannins and good spicy character adding to the modest but nicely balancing acidity of the finish.

(2013) A really cool vintage. Slightly more fruit came from slate soils in this vintage whereas a little more would normally come from limestone for freshness. Ripe, lightly gamy nose, plenty of nutty black fruits, plenty of earthiness and gentle herbs and game. The palate has a lovely rounded, dry but very well defined palate with such a juicy squirt of tart black fruit skins to the acidity and firm tannins.

(2013) A really hot vintage. The limestone cools overnight and makes slightly more reductive wines. Much more rounded and opulent on the nose, the thicker, plumier dark fruits. On the palate it has such fat, sweet fruit and huge concentration. There is a warmth and solidity to this that Georg thinks in four or five years this will come good, the primary sweet fruit will subside a little then. And I can see the game and the herby quality in there that is just a little overshadowed by the thick plumpness of the fruit at present.

(2013) First bottling was 2011. From limestone soils, but harvested a little later. Made in 500-litre casks of Austrian oak. Big, chocolaty nose, with thick, rich fruit. Some spice and pepper and a little gamy note. But this is about earthy and chocolaty richness and conentration. Savoury, with the briny seashore note and wonderful juiciness. Has plenty of acidity and really intense feeling to the tannins that grip the wine now in that savoury umami character, the intense full and spicy fruit is in there, but this has massive structure and concentration.

(2013) From slate soils. Difference here is whole berries. Much lighter, ashier, earthy and floral notes, lots of cracked black pepper and crisp black and red berries - suggests more lift and energy. The palate has such an intense sweet fruit purity, the intensity and concentration is immense, and the palate has lovely finesse and lively, fine intense concentration. The tannins are very svelte, the acidity juicy in a wine that is arguably a little more straightforward, but makes up for that in its perfect purity.

(2013) The name means 'field blend', from old mixed vineyards of Pinot Blanc, Welschriesling, Muskateller, Traminer and other varieties. Very pleasing, fresh nose of apple and a touch of something peachy, with gentle herbal, delicately nettly notes. Lovely palate: silky smooth texture, with a little bit of grip and tannin, very good acidity. Fresh citrus and orchard fruits give energy and a clear lemony, salty, mineral finish. Grown on slate, rich in iron too. Only 1% is matured in small barrels, the rest in steel. This and the red wine below sell locally for around 9€ for a one-litre bottle.

(2010) This Burgenland wine comes from selected fruit growing in high density, old vineyards, with ageing in large oak casks. It has a big, meaty, quite wild and floral nose with medicinal edges that are typical. Meaty, vivid and dense on the palate too, with lots of juicy fruit and a dry, savoury finish.