634185 Sun Jul 05 22:10:42 -0700 2009 3 34 Wine 0 4832223 Brief notes from a walk-around tasting of Austrian wines from Terry Theise Estate Selections, June 29, in San Francisco. Ecker Wagram, $16 – The first wine of the day, and I’ll confess that the lead position nearly always tastes better and sometimes rates higher than it should. This is a producer that hadn’t been on my GrüVe-radar, but Ecker is now, for sure. Effusive nose brimming with bouquets of sweet pea and slight white pepper spiciness, more lentil-ly and minerals on the palate, great focus, light-bodied, squeaky clean and crystal clear impression, zips through to crisp finish. VERY GOOD plus Schloss Gobelsburg “Gobelsburger” Kamptal, $15.50 – Nose of kaffir lime leaf and lemon blossoms, more fruit than expected with some white nectarine, rounded awkward finish, a little bubble gum in the aftertaste. VERY GOOD Hiedler “Loess” Kamptal, $17 – Peppy with green bean, chamomile, grass, stones, and citrus, graceful carriage finishing with a wee bit of fat, clean and shimmering with everything I love about GV, yet along with that varietal-correctness there’s a soulful resonance even in this entry-level bottling. EXCELLENT minus Hirsch “Veltliner #1” Kamptal, $17.50 – Always an easy choice for a well-priced GV with more fruity expression and softer styling, I’ve consumed mass quantities of this brand over the years. This vintage is round and people-pleasing, clean and graceful, but I would like a bit more pick-up in the acid balance. VERY GOOD Glatzer Carnuntum, $13.50 – Perennial QPR-leader. Very fragrant with flowers and English peas, riper than expected for the vintage and not as biting, turns a bit hollow in the middle, but overall pleasant and easy to drink. VERY GOOD minus Glatzer “Dornenvogel”, $18 – Lemongrass and Shanghai cabbage drenched with wet stones, clean line of acidity carries very long on the palate, attractive lightness, taut now and hard to read yet quite characterful, a puzzlement, and one that I’ll probably rate higher in a few months. VERY GOOD Rudolph Schwarzböck Weinvertel, $13.50/liter – Sweet pea blossomy nose, lively attack with limes and white pepper on the palate, quite harmonious for such a young wine, clean and green impression, crisp acidity and so refreshing, light-bodied, tapering finish with grassy aftertaste. My first example from this producer, and one I’ll remember. VERY GOOD plus Hans Setzer Weinviertel, $13.50/liter – Bottle cap closure. Zesty and lively with good cut of thirst-quenching acidity, white pepper and lime leaf, a bit fuller in the middle than typical at this price point, good carriage and length. VERY GOOD plus Erich Berger Kremstal, $12.50/liter – Perky and bright with peppery spice, mustard greens and citrus, zippy acid balance, uncomplicated quaff to wash away the cares of the day. VERY GOOD Salomon Undhof “Hochterrassen” Kremstal, $17.50 – While I’ve consumed mass quanties of Hirsch, I’m certain I’ve downed even more bottles of the Hochterrassen, my go-to, drink it tonight GV. Where Hirsch is fruit-driven and friendly, Salomon is stonier, more brooding and complicated. Or as one friend put it, “Salomon’s wines taste like crushed vitamin pills.” And, that’s why I adore them especially in a stern vintage like this one when you can really taste the rocks. Opening with a sweetly floral nose of sweet peas, fuller and riper upfront than expected for the year with a bold entry, shiny and lively with a well-measured balance of fruit and minerality through the long lasting finish. EXCELLENT minus Sun Jul 05 22:10:43 -0700 2009 10039 Melanie Wong 1 4835107 Crushed vitamin pills -- I love it! Thanks for taking the time to post these, Melanie. The only one I've tried (and have a second bottle of in my fridge) is the Gobelsburg; your assessment is spot-on. Will keep an eye peeled for the others, especially the Salomon (some of whose wines are sold in Ontario) and the Heider (which is new to me). Mon Jul 06 19:29:07 -0700 2009 4832223 10520 carswell 1 4836298 Hiedler rocks. They have a library release of the 1994 at K&L for $55 if you're interested. Berger's a great QPR. The Hirsch I've had have been good, too. One to look for, although it's an Age of Riesling import and not Thiese, is Ott. Tue Jul 07 08:57:58 -0700 2009 4832223 11117 SteveTimko 1 4849971 Hey Melanie, was the Setzer the '07? Stopped into the Wine Barn (? or whatever the hell the actual name is) in Healdsburg this week and got a taste. Bob, behind the bar, thought it was not up to the level of the previous years. I still have a few bottles of the '05 but the taste memories are too far gone for comparison. I thought it was pretty good, especially given the QPR with the additional 250ml to boot. [Edit to Add] Oops, just noticed the 2008 in the title, now unsure as to what Bob poured for me. Will follow up. I did manage to score his only four bottles of Anthill Farms Pinot and two of Hook and Ladder. Sat Jul 11 17:58:57 -0700 2009 4832223 18150 PolarBear