Austria

This had just been bottled when I tasted it at the winery.  It should be even better with just a bit of bottle age. Light golden in color, clear and bright.  The nose is more about minerality than fruit though there is a slight note of lime.  What a great, slightly oily texture.  Rich yet crisp.  On the palate, it is still more about minerality although the limes come thru a bit more.  Complex.  Long finish.  Delicious.  This will improve with a year or so of patience.  Drink over the next ten years.  This would go great with breaded and fried foods (chicken or pork)!

Another winner from Knoll in the excellent 2021 vintage.  Silvery gold in color, clear and bright.  The nose has asparagus, and white pepper.  Light tannins.  On the palate, this has concentrated lime notes.  A bit of asparagus on the finish.  Long.  Deep.  Well balanced.  This would go well with lighter foods or even a not too spicy Chinese pork dish.  Drink over the next seven to ten years.  

Light silvery gold in color, clear and bright.  The nose is great with slight limes, asparagus and a slight white pepper.  Medium bodied.  On the palate, lemon/lime notes.  Good acidity.  Some minerality.  Deep.  Long finish.  This is light on its feet but serious enough to stand up to moderately heavy foods.  It would be nice with fish tacos.  Drink over the next seven to ten years.  

Green gold in color, clear and bright.  The nose is nice with limes and white pepper.  Medium bodied.  Good acidity.  Depth.  On the palate, limes and some minerality.  Dry.  Long finish.  Very similar to the Steinfeder version just more of everything.  This is great on its own and will work well with most lighter foods.  Thai food would be a nice match.  Drink over the next three to five years.  

Steinfeder is the lowest category in the ripeness classification of white wines in Austria's Wachau Valley. It means the wines have a mandated maximum alcohol level of 11.5 percent.  The result is that the wines have a lighter body and tend to drink easier and sooner.  Silvery gold in color, clear and bright.  The nose has limes and slight white pepper.  Medium bodied.  On the palate, tart limes.  Good acidity.  Long finish.  This is very food friendly and would go well with pasta primavera.  Drink over the next few years.  

Consumed with Lunch at Restaurant Loibnerhof – Knoll in Durnstein, Austria.  Made from 100% Pinot Noir.  Pink/orange in color, clear and bright.  The nose is nice with with strawberries, cherries and slight cranberries.  Medium bodied.  Nice, creamy texture.  Good balance.  On the palate, cherries and cranberries.  Clean.  Dry.  Delicious with a variety of foods including a mushroom pasta with cream sauce.  Drink over the next few years.  

This is a red made by a producer who mostly produces whites in Austria.  Light ruby in color, clear and bright.  The nose is very earthy with a sweaty socks note.  Light bodied. On the palate, there is a note of rhubarb turning slightly bitter on the finish.  Low acidity.  This will probably be a bit better with food.  Drink over the next year or so.  

The is a beautiful dessert wine from Austria.  Beerenauslese literally means berry selected which means the grapes are harvested individually and not in bunches to ensure ripeness.  Golden in color, clear and bright.  The nose has honey, apricot and a slight balsa wood note.  Viscous.  Sweet, not cloying.  Enough acidity to cut through.  The palate also features the apricots and honey.  Long finish.  This is delicious and probably serves to be consumed on its own.  Drink over the next twenty years.  10.5% abv.

Auslese is a German word meaning Selected Harvest.  The grapes are late harvest grapes with high levels of sugar.  Light golden in color, clear and bright.  The nose has a bit of diesel along with peach and slight apples.  Light acidity but the wine is not cloying.  On the palate, notes of white raisins, honey and peach with some minerality.  Slightly sweet. Slight tropical fruits on the finish.  This is delicious.  It is great on its own and would work well with a not too sweet piece of (Austrian) pastry or cookie.  Drink over the next ten to twelve years.  

This is a Late Release of this wine.  Green/gold in color.  The nose seems to have good minerality but also some botrytis on it.  Medium bodied.  Moderate acidity.  On the palate, there seems to be just a bit of residual sugar along with a nice citrus streak.  A different sort of wine from this area.  Long finish.  This is enjoyable and would make a lovely aperitif. Drink over the next five to eight years.