10 bottles with wow effect!
What to impress guests with? With a beautifully set table on which a sophisticated dinner is served, sure. Or even with wines, some of which they may not yet know. These are the wines we were looking for. Alexander Koblinger, head sommelier at “Döllerers Stammhaus” in Golling, one of the best and most highly decorated restaurants in the country, has put together a best-of of wines for you that are guaranteed to create a wow effect with your guests. The good thing is that there is something for every taste.
Furmint sparkling wine 2013, Vino Gross, Slovenia
A sparkling wine made from the ancient “Pannonian” white wine grape Furmint. A highly elegant, bone-dry sparkling wine with aromas of quince, ringworm, mussel shell and fleur de sel from Slovenia. Ingeniously pressed by Michael Gross without any addition of dosage or sulfur.
€ 39,20; store.doellerer.a
Grüner Veltliner Tree Press 2013, Nikolaihof, Wachau
A Grüner Veltliner from the oldest winery in Austria, which has worked its vineyards according to biodynamic guidelines since 1971. This Veltliner is pressed with a tree press and is a real rarity, which with aromas of Boskop apple, pepper, beeswax and marzipan, but only 12.5% vol. Alk. is very animating to drink.
Info at store.doellerer.at
2020 Neuburger Leithaberg DAC, Lichtenberger-González, Breitenbrunn
Leithaberg DAC is one of the few DAC areas in Austria, which on the one hand stands for white wine as well as for red wine and in which on the other hand the white wines from Chardonnay, Neuburger, Pinot Blanc and Grüner Veltliner may be pressed. The white “Leithaberger” are mostly vinified single-varietal, but can also be blended.
The winery is rather small, with just eight cultivated hectares, and the focus is on a typical, autochthonous Austrian grape variety: the Neuburger.
As soon as you swirl the glass, you are greeted by captivating aromatics. Marzipan, gingerbread, propolis in combination with damp, rain-soaked stone and melons are a combination that you would not expect. Furthermore, nuts, chalk, ripe apple as well as meadow herbs and cold smoke join in. In short: elegance meets terroir.
€ 25,-; store.doellerer.at
2019 Roter Veltliner Ried Ungut, Mantlerhof, Gedersdorf
As a founding member of Austria’s traditional wineries, the Mantlers, together with the “Next Generation”, cultivate their classic white wines such as Grüner Veltliner and Riesling in a wide variety of sites.
This wine is the latest project of their Red Veltliner tradition, planted in 2016 in the easternmost plant, not 100 meters from the border with Kamptal. The Ungut vineyard is a sub-field of the Vordern Berg vineyard (from “Voranberg” the eastern end of the Gobelsberg). You could also call it the tenderloin. The Ungut consists of highly exposed terraces and is located where the south-facing terraces of Gedersdorf meet the southeast terraces of Gobelsburg. Due to the strong exposure, this part of the Vordern Berg got the reputation that it was particularly “unguat” to work there.
The soil is deep loess, rather poor. Strongly exposed to wind and very dry, the site offers perfect conditions for the heat-loving Roter Veltliner. The barren soil brings a noticeable minerality and slight saltiness to the wine and convinces with hints of orange, tangerine and fig. The Red Veltliner is straightforward, with light barrel ripeness, has a medium body and super integrated acidity. An ace to Tafelspitz and Co.
€ 31,-; store.doellerer.at
Rully 1er Clous Montpalais 2019, Domaine de Villaine, Côte Chalonnaise, France
A Chardonnay from southern Burgundy. The winery, which has been managed organically since 1986, is located in Bouzeron. Bouzeron is also the only AOP in Burgundy dedicated to Aligoté. This is thanks to Aubert de Villaine, whom wine drinkers and collectors should know as Mister Romanée-Conti. Domaine de Villaine is his private winery and offers sensational value for money.
Pierre de Benoist, the nephew of Aubert de Villaine, presses this elegant, taut and distinctive Chardonnay.
€ 73,70; store.doellerer.at
Cariñena Planetes du Nin 2019, Nin-Ortiz, Priorat, Spain
Ester Nin, together with her husband Carles Ortiz, can look back on 13 hectares of biodynamic vineyards. The white Planetes du Nin is a very rare white Cariñena. A grape variety that you never actually have in the glass solo. The grapes are located on a rather higher vineyard, on the typical slate soils. Those who now expect a “fat”, opulent and bland white wine will be disappointed. You can find fresh dates and figs, quince, white almonds and therefore marzipan, white flowers, some honey, fresh pear as well as nashi pear. A super fresh and salty white wine that is so real fun in the glass.
€ 39,10; store.doellerer.at
Chardonnay Le Mesnil 2019, Bruno Paillard, Coteaux Champenoise
Still wine from Champagne? Still wine from Champagne! Before sparkling wines were produced in the world-famous Champagne, the still wines of the region were its flagship. A still wine from one of the most famous sites in Champagne, more precisely from the Lieux Dits Pudepeigne in the middle of the slope with south-east exposure.
A Chardonnay that has been allowed to age in barrels for nine months and is like a razor blade, very straight, very pure and clear. Citrus, chalk aromas, fresh acidity and brilliant elegance leave nothing to be desired.
€ 68,80; store.doellerer.at
St. Laurent St. Margarethen 2018, Winery Rosi Schuster
Hannes Schuster has taken over the winery in Sankt Margarethen from his mother Rosi Schuster and focuses purely on Austrian grape varieties. The vineyard area of Hannes became even smaller after the handover, because he sold, cleared or exchanged the vineyards with the international varieties.
The grapes for this red wine come from the sites in St. Margarethen, Zagersdorf, Oslip and Donnerskirchen and are up to 30 years old. They take root in sand, lime, clay and shale. Aging takes place in large old wooden barrels, where the wine can rest for ten months.
€ 14,50; store.doellerer.at
Caberlot 2015, Podere il Carnasciale, Tuscany
Which winery can claim to have its own exclusive grape variety. Podere il Carnasciale can do this, as it has a natural cross between Merlot and Cabernet Franc in its vineyard, the Caberlot. Aromas of paprika, sweet paprika, cassis, green herbs greet. The wine is actually only available in magnum bottles and comes from Tuscany.
€ 164,40; store.doellerer.at
Côte Rôtie La Péroline 2016, Domaine Levet, Rhône France
Angès Levet has a full four hectares of vineyards, from which she presses three Côte Rôties and one Condrieu. The wines are all very classically vinified, see no new wood and definitely have backbone. The flagship of Agnès Levet comes from the Lieu-dits Chavroche and Mollard. Grapes from Côte Blond and Côte Brune are also used in this cuvée. The whole grapes are fermented with the combs, which is immediately noticeable in a more intense tannic structure. The aromas on the nose and palate are dark, smoky, almost bacony, peppery and still have some edge.
€ 77,30; store.doellerer.at
Now it would be interesting to know which wine goes with which food? Here’s a quick guide for that: Which food goes with which wine?
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