WINEMAKER'S NOTES:
The complex Chardonnay Leithaberg DAC is mineral, elegant, and full-bodied. It offers aromas of juicy pineapple and yellow pears, with a delicate finish of white berries. As a great Burgundy, it is the perfect accompaniment to seafood, poultry, and risotto. It ages well. The wine unfolds its full aromatic complexity and elegance at 9-11°C. Pure enjoyment is achieved with Saltimbocca featuring Parma ham and a light sauce of salted butter and white wine, served with warm, fresh ciabatta. It is also delicious during asparagus season: fresh green asparagus in a light herb sauce with Parmesan, baked in the oven.
TASTING NOTES:
The 2021 Chardonnay Ried Guttenberg is the current release. It was made from 50-year-old vines grown on a site that combines limestone and schist. Following two days of skin contact, it spent a year in a 500-liter barrel of Austrian oak. The beautifully salty yeast on the nose reminds me of Champagne, with creamy, savory, apple-smoothness. This gorgeous yeast texture moves through this stony wine with much animation, lending it energy and so much verve. It tingles and remains absolutely slender while spraying with salty, smooth generosity.
- Vinous, 94 pts.