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I arrive at the
Langenlois winery after just 45 minutes drive from Vienna.
Ludwig's wife, María Ángeles, smiles and greets me as I walk
in the front door.
The little owl statue out front has represented the winery
for over 150 years. The winery is on the edge of the
charming village of Langenlois.
Soon we're driving off to the various vineyards owned by
this dynamic
couple. They're spread out in several locations in the
area. We head first to the sloping hills in the
North, to their Steinhaus vineyard.
We exit the car and walk over to the vines. She is proud of
how her husband
tends them. She shows me how healthy and clean they are.
This is the home of Riesling and Sauvignon Blanc.
Watch the video below for a brief description. |
Then we hop in the car
and head East to their vineyard on the
hallowed Heilgenstein hill. More luscious
and flourishing vines. The view is
spectacular. This place is heaven!
We snap a few photos by the monument on top
of the hill then start the descent back to
the winery. Time to tour the winery and
taste the wines! On the way, we pass
Ludwig's favourite vineyard, Thal. He's so
connected to it he calls it his "heart." It
has 60 year old vines. He's perfecting
organic techniques here.
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VIDEO 1 -
Steinhaus Vineyard
Play Video on Youtube
or Download Quicktime
Video |
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María Ángeles
shows me the Riesling vines
in the Steinhaus vineyard. |
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We are
now standing in the winery amid gleaming stainless
steel fermentation tanks. María Ángeles explains
that they ferment the grapes from each of the five
vineyards separately for better control and to bring
out the individual terroir from each vineyard. "We
want to keep the personality from the terroir of
each vineyard," she explains. Nearby is the 600 year
old wine cellar.
The
winery is modern and efficient. And the barrel
cellar is a delightfully historic and rustic.
As
Pongo the dog hovers nearby, we settle in a bright
room with large windows to taste the wine
portfolio... |
VIDEO 2 - In the
Winery
Play Video on Youtube
or Download Quicktime
Video |
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Weingut Hiedler
Grüner Veltliner Löss 2007
An elegant and refined
wine with a full and fresh, fruity bouquet.
Slight buttery nose. Flavours of grapefruit
rind, soft tree fruit, spice and fresh honey
with a clean and creamy finish. Gentle mineral
characteristics that Kamptal is famous for.
Amazing harmony. Stylish liquid delight! As I
savour the wine, Maria-Angeles Hiedler tells me
about Hiedler's minimalist winemaking
philosophy: "When Ludwig makes a wine, he tells
it "Try for yourself - become what you are meant
to be." These words resound with me, because
this wine has confidently become what it was
destined to become.
Score: 90.
See Blog: Enjoying this
wine at Jamie Kennedy Wine Bar, Toronto |
Weingut Hiedler
Grüner Veltliner Thal 2007
Displaying a fresh and fruity bouquet with
significant flavours of spice, apple, and muted
citrus. A hint of honeycomb, creaminess and
minerality. A very balanced wine with a long
finish. From the family's Thal vineyard, about
10 hectares in size.
Score: 93. |
Grüner Veltliner
November 2007
Elegance in a bottle with
a full bodied fresh and fruity bouquet. A
creamy, buttery nose, with aromas and flavours
of mango, pineapple, soft tree fruit, minerality,
spice and fresh honey. A clean and fruity
finish. Excellent harmony and balance! From the
Thal vineyard, but harvested 2 weeks later than
their GV "Thal." The vineyard is over 40 years
old. Score: 94. |
Grüner Veltliner
Maximum 2007
Ultimate refinement is
unmistakable as I savour this aristocrat. The
wine is aged in Acacia casks for micro
interaction of air. It presents a fresh and
fruity bouquet, with buttery nose and aromas and
flavours of tropical fruit, soft tree fruit,
minerality, spice and fresh honey. Rich creamy
consistency with an elegant fruity finish. Full
bodied with excellent harmony and balance! Be
sure to decant this wine before serving to
present its full potential. From the Thal,
Spiegel and other vineyards that range in age
from 40 to 70 years. Maximum comes in a Burgundy
style bottle shape.
Score: 94. |
Riesling
Urgestein 2007
First impressions are of a nicely balanced
Riesling. Charming nose of peaches and white
flower petals. Good body with
ripe fruity notes, and graceful mineral acidity.
Score:
90. |
Riesling
Steinhaus 2007
Presents a clean nose of
peaches with a palate of rich
minerals with delicate herbal notes. The crisp
and defined palate has a hint of sweet limes,
gooseberries and mint, contributing to the
overall delicate character of the wine. Score: 91. |
Riesling
Gaisberg 2007
Lots of body in this
Riesling. Alluring nose of peaches and plums
with a palate of rich
minerality followed by suggestions of Mandarin
orange tea and fruitiness. This is a truly
amazing wine. In fact I would call it sublime.
Score: 95. |
Riesling
Heiligenstein 2007
Highlights an enticing
nose with ripe peaches. Very crisp in the mouth
yet possessing excellent balance and harmony. It
bears all the characteristics of the Heiligenstein
vineyard, for example the elegant mineral notes, the focused
fruit extract, the fervent density and brilliance.
Score: 96. |
Additional Wines
At this point I was
starting to veer from a state of moderation (my
guest room was a 30 metre walk, so it's all
good). I
was being charmed anew with each bottle-opening,
but
it was time to pause.
But
there are witnesses that I did indeed later taste
their Sauvignon Blanc (relatively unusual for
this part of Austria), Weissburgunder Maximum,
Chardonnay Kittmannsberg, Chardonnay
toasted and
unfiltered, a charming red blend called
Tintored,
an amazing Pinot Noir and finally their
Pinot
Noir Sangiovese blend called
Liubisa. Every wine
had its own fascinating personality. I must
write about them another time. There's very very
interesting stuff here!
The Hiedlers say, "you
can compare wines like people." And it was true
this fine day as we compared an enormously
well-crafted
selection of wines. |
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Riesling
vines... healthy and clean |
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Gravity
flow fermentation; wine press below |
The 600
year old wine cellar fitted with brand new French oak barrels |
The
Hiedlers enjoying their fine wines with me |
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