2020 Bründlmayer Steinmassl Riesling

Bründlmayer

Austria / Kamptal / Bründlmayer

The Steinmassl is situated on the rocky fringe of the southern Waldviertel where we have paragneiss, mica-schist sometimes dark amphibolite - a typical soil of the Kamptal, Kremstal or Wachau areas. The highest vines are trained in the Lyre-system. The meagre, stony soil provides small berries with concentrated flavour. As far as Riesling is concerned, an important part of the flavour is stored in the grape skins and is set free only by extremely slow, soft, whole-bunch pressing or prolonged skin contact for a carefully chosen time span. Fermentation is done in stainless steel, as is maturation which takes place on 5 to 10% of the lees. Alcohol 12%; RS dry; acidity: 7.6 g/L.
Sparkling clean, grapey-zesty Riesling bouquet including notes of juniper and Braeburn apples. It's fresh and dry, juicy though still a bit reduced in its first years, red-berry aromas on the palate, super straight, one would like to say ‘slim fit’ with a fragrant touch of fruity sweetness before the long finish. – Weingut Bründlmayer

October, 2021

Stuart Pigott

jamessuckling.com

94 points.

Lots of herbal and pine freshness animates this medium-bodied but compact dry Riesling. Very good ripeness, but not voluminous or weighty. Serious minerality at the long, deep finish. From organically grown grapes. Drink or hold.

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About Bründlmayer

This is probably Austria's number one estate outside the Wachau. If you are to believe former World Champion sommelier Andreas Larsson, Bründlmayer is in fact the nation’s finest, bar none. However you look at it, this is another one of the world’s top white winegrowers. The winery is situated in Langenlois, some 70 km northwest of Vienna, upstream along the Danube in the Lower Austrian Kamp Valley. The wooded hills of the Waldviertel protect the vineyards from the cold north-westerly winds. During the day, the sun warms the stony terraces, while at night the fresh, fragrant forest air drifts through the Kamp Valley into the Langenloiser Arena. The Kamptal is not far from the Wachau or Kremstal but it does throw up a whole different terroir and style mix. Grüner Veltliner and Riesling are still kings but there are no Federspiel/Smaragd categories. The wines of Bründlmayer are dry, mineral, powerful and harmonious.
Since 1980 this talented winemaker has transformed 125 acres of terraces, set above the Danube in Langenlois, into a beacon for Austrian wine. Jancis Robinson on Willi Bründlmayer

About

“Since 1980 this talented winemaker has transformed 125 acres of terraces, set above the Danube in Langenlois, into a beacon for Austrian wine.” So wrote Jancis Robinson of Willi Bründlmayer, who inherited from his father a love and respect for nature that has become more profound through travels to other major winegrowing regions of the world. Only organic fertilisers such as composted vegetable matter are used in the estate’s vineyards. Ecological harmony has absolute priority here: when old vineyards are grubbed up they are left fallow for five years before replanting so that the soil can regain its natural fertility; clover and wild herbs regenerate it and create an ideal meadow habitat for bees and butterflies. To prevent erosion, water sumps have been created at regular intervals, which also help to improve the micro-climate. Willi never uses herbicides to control the growth of weeds. Thanks to him, the family name has become synonymous with reliable, top-quality Austrian winemaking, making some of the very best wines the country has to offer. At the turn of the millennium, Decanter magazine cited Willi among the 50 most likely people to change the face of the world of wine in the coming decades, which goes some way to demonstrating the esteem in which he is held at home and in the broader world of wine.