Austria in Perfect Clarity
2010 Alzinger: Riesling and Grüner Veltliner
"Wachau 2010 is a candidate for greatness."

Let me begin with a simple sentence: These are perhaps my favorite Austrian wines, scarcity be damned.

Leo Alzinger and his son, Leo Alzinger, make wines that are Saar-like in their clarity, finely woven, porcelain creations that softly hum notes of fresh green fruit, forest and mineral. They display an herbal-salt-earth combination that is for me about as mysterious and pure and enchanting and awesome as it gets.

"You wouldn't be surprised if the cellarmaster were the Dalai Lama." -Terry Theise

It's very hard to know where to start with Alzinger - they are haunting in their detail, their precision. There are no other wines in Austria this fine.  

The Theise quote above gets to the essence of things: The Rieslings of Alzinger whisper: they are quiet, angelic, crystal clear with flawless balance, clarity.

The 2008 Loibenberg presents fireworks on this fine razor's edge. The Loibenberg is perhaps the most exotic, most lavish and generous site in the Wachau - the wines flaunt heady perfumes. It is a "Grand Cru" site if ever there was one, farmed by many of the greats of the Wachau (FX Pichler, Knoll, etc).

Austria in Perfect Clarity
2009 Alzinger Riesling and Grüner Veltliner
The Lovely, Lovely, *LIMITED* 2009 Alzingers

I tasted these in Austria in June and loved them - some of the best of the vintage without a doubt.

So I returned to the U.S. and placed what I thought was a reasonable little order - nothing crazy, but say 10 cases of this, 5 cases of that... just a few Austrian gems that, really, shouldn't be missed.

Alzinger makes wines that are Saar-like in their clarity, finely woven, porcelain creations that softly hum notes of fresh green fruit, mineral. They display an herbal-salt-earth combination that is simultaneously enchanting and awesome.

Melusine: The Final Vintage
2007 Melusine Grüner Veltliner
Grüner Veltliner at its most Forceful, most Burgundian

Today we offer the final few cases discounted $40 a bottle.

It's an easy ploy, the whole "almost 50% off" thing.

And it is a crazy deal, a ludicrous deal, one of those deals everyone should take advantage of. The only price in the U.S. for this bottle of wine is $88.50 - today we offer the final few cases for $49.95.

Austrian Rarities: Part II
2007 Alzinger Riesling Smaragds
Hohereck - Loibenberg - Liebenberg

Today we present the grand (petite) finale.

A pristine little assortment of the grandest, most mineral and delicate and meditative wines from Austria, and indeed the world, from the superb 2007 vintage.

As time has gone on, the 2007 vintage in Austria, quiet on release and in the shadows of the mighty 2006s, has developed into one of the most impressive vintages of the decade. Obviously it's hard to predict at this still early stage, but when we look back in a few more years, I think it's likely that 2001 and 2007 will take top honors for the decade.

"Wines in a style you will not encounter anywhere else in Austria: Blaufränkisch vinified as if it were Grand Cru Burgundy."
- David Schildknecht, Wine Advocate

Heed Schildknecht's words above: This is an offer for the Burgundy lover, for those who appreciate a seductive, balanced expression of fruit, mineral, flower, earth.

This is elegant Blaufränkisch. In most cases, that's a rather jarring phrase; if Blaufränkisch has a reputation at all for the American consumer, it'd likely be reduced to "juicy, rustic and rugged."

Roland Velich and his Moric project, however, are leading something like a revolution in Austria's Burgenland - going back to the fundamentals and in the process finding a pure, authentic expression of Blaufränkisch.

Crush Press: Volume 2

Everything you Wanted to Know about Austrian Wines but Were Afraid to Ask

With essays from David Schildknecht, Aldo Sohm and Terry Theise

Donabaum's Neuburger Federspiel really impressed us. It's very rare that we buy something on the spot without discussion among the buyers, but in this case we just looked at each other and signed up for everything right on the spot.

This wine has drive and a just unbelievably slick structure - as if the entire wine were whittled down to its essentials.

Indeed, the Kellerberg is, in my opinion, perhaps the greatest site in Austria. The reason I think this is simple enough: Time and time again, when I come to old Kellerbergs (whether FX Pichler or top Knoll vintages) the wines are simply so complete - they are everything. They are luxurious and long and detailed and so, so, so finessed.