Kracher Scheurebe Trockenbeerenauslese Auslese No. 3 (375ML) 2010
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Grape: 100% Scheurebe
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Wine & Spirits
A generation ago, Austria was known internationally, if at all, for its Ausbruch, the local name for wines with the ripeness and density of Beerenauslese and Trockenbeerenauslese. After the scandal in 1985, many estates turned their backs on the production of such wines. Not so Alois Kracher, who instead made them the focus of all of his energy. Almost single-handedly he rekindled interest in a style that finds its purest expression in those vineyards under the influence of the warm, moist autumn climate generated by Lake Neusiedl. His son Gerhard has been responsible for the estate since his father's untimely death in 2007 and has done a better job of embellishing his father's vision than anyone would have thought possible at the time. Colleagues have described it as Sauternes without the wood. As Kracher makes two styles, that is not quite the case. Zwischen den Seen, or between the seas, is the traditional style; Nouvelle Vague, or new wave, is the French interpretation. I often drink most of these wines with more pleasure than Sauternes because at 7% to 11% they are more charming. In Sauternes, producers accept higher alcohols in order to have less residual sugar. Each year, all of the Trockenbeerenausleses are numbered, with the lowest numbers being the ones Kracher thinks are the best. 2010 Scheurebe Trockenbeerenauslese No. 3 Zwischen Den Seen: Rich golden yellow. Complex, sweet and captivating, with aromas offering notes of gooseberry, grapefruit zest, spiced pear and flint on a bed of honeyed botrytis. Juicy cranberry, lychee and passion fruit flavors are given definition and vibrancy by a brilliant lemony twist. Impeccably balanced and youthfully tart scheurebe, finishing extremely long, with luscious extract.
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The 2010 Scheurebe Trockenbeerenauslese No 3 Zwischen den Seen offers a brilliant, ripe and intense bouquet of pink grapefruit, white pepper, ginger and tropical fruits. Intense and very elegant on the palate, this is a highly concentrated and piquant, firmly structured but still closed TBA with a very long and tension-filled finish. The acidity is electrifying here. This Scheu will go for decades and should not be drunk earlier than 2020.
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Wine Spectator
Shows a note of chamomile to the viscous golden raisin, ripe apple and pear tart flavors, exhibiting plenty of luscious creaminess. Anise and pineapple hints appear on the long, rich and spice-infused finish. Drink now through 2038. 150 cases made.
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Wine Enthusiast
There is a great balance between sweetness and acidity in this fine wine. Lemon, lime zest and a twist of orange give an intense freshness, while the honey and marmalade add richness and sweetness. It’s a great wine for aging. Drink from 2017.
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Located in the Seewinkel, an area in the Burgenland region of Austra, along the eastern shore of Lake Neusiedl, Weinlaubenhof Alois Kracher is in possession of a microclimate uniquely suited to the production of Beerenauslese and Trockenbeerenauslese wines. 32 hectares of vineyards are planted with Welschriesling, Chardonnay, Traminer, Muskat Ottonel and Scheurebe. Kracher is internationally regarded as one of the finest dessert wine makes. After Alois Kracher passed away in December 2007, his 27 year-old son Gerhard took over responsibility of winemaking. He manages the winery with the same strength, firm will and consequence as his famous father once did.
Apart from the classics, we find many regional gems of different styles.
Late harvest wines are probably the easiest to understand. Grapes are picked so late that the sugars build up and residual sugar remains after the fermentation process. Ice wine, a style founded in Germany and there referred to as eiswein, is an extreme late harvest wine, produced from grapes frozen on the vine, and pressed while still frozen, resulting in a higher concentration of sugar. It is becoming a specialty of Canada as well, where it takes on the English name of ice wine.
Vin Santo, literally “holy wine,” is a Tuscan sweet wine made from drying the local white grapes Trebbiano Toscano and Malvasia in the winery and not pressing until somewhere between November and March.
Rutherglen is an historic wine region in northeast Victoria, Australia, famous for its fortified Topaque and Muscat with complex tawny characteristics.
Appreciated for superior wines made from indigenous varieties, Austria should be on the radar of any curious wine drinker. A rather cool and dry wine growing region, this country produces wine that is quintessentially European in style: food-friendly with racy acidity, moderate alcohol and fresh fruit flavors.
Austria’s viticultural history is rich and vast, dating back to Celtic tribes with first written record of winemaking starting with the Romans. But the 20th century brought Austria a series of winemaking obstacles, namely the plunder of both world wars, as well as its own self-imposed quality breach. In the mid 1980s, after a handful of shameless vintners were found to have added diethylene glycol (a toxic substance) to their sweet wines to imitate the unctuous qualities imparted by botrytis, Austria’s credibility as a wine-producing country was compromised. While no one was harmed, the incident forced the country to rebound and recover stronger than ever. By the 1990s, Austria was back on the playing field with exports and today is prized globally for its quality standards and dedication to purity and excellence.
Grüner Veltliner, known for its racy acidity and herbal, peppery aromatics, is Austria's most important white variety, comprising nearly a third of Austrian plantings. Riesling in Austria is high in quality but not quantity, planted on less than 5% of the country’s vineyard land. Austrian Rieslings are almost always dry and are full of bright citrus flavors and good acidity. Red varietal wines include the tart and peppery Zweigelt, spicy and dense Blaufränkisch and juicy Saint Laurent. These red varieties are also sometimes blended.