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Price
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N/A
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More Details
Winery
Franz Xaver Pichler
Vintage: 2008
2008 saw very high yields across wineries in much of the southern hemisphere, as a result of highly favorable climatic conditions. Although in many areas, these high yields brought with them something of a drop in overall quality, this could not be said for South Australia's wines, which were reportedly excellent. Indeed, the 2008 Shiraz harvest in South Australia is said to be one of the most successful in recent decades, and western Australia's Chardonnays are set to be ones to watch out for. New Zealand's Pinot Noir harvest was also very good, with wineries in Martinborough reportedly very excited about this particular grape and the characteristics it revealed this year.
Pinot Noir also grew very well in the United States, and was probably the most successful grape varietal to come out of California in 2008, with Sonoma Coast and Anderson Valley delivering fantastic results from this grape. Elsewhere in United States, Washington State and Oregon had highly successful harvests in 2008 despite some early worries about frost.
However, it was France who had the best of the weather and growing conditions in 2008, and this year was one of the great vintages for Champagne, the Médoc in Bordeaux, Languedoc-Roussillon and Provence, with Pinot Noir, Cabernet Sauvignon and Chardonnay grapes leading the way. Italy, too, shared many of these ideal conditions, with the wineries in Tuscany claiming that their Chianti Classicos of 2008 will be ones to collect, and Piedmont's Barberesco and Barolo wines will be recognized as amongst the finest of the past decade.
Varietal: Riesling
Although they originated in Germany's beautiful Rhine Valley, the Riesling grape soon spread around the world, where it thrives in many countries with a colder climate which can support this pale and unique grapes. Riesling grapes are considered one of the finest varietals on earth, capable of expressing fascinating features of the soil type they are grown on, resulting in some highly interesting wines with plenty to offer those who are looking for something different. Riesling grapes are also noted for their aromas, which tend to be highly perfumed, floral and often with smoky notes accentuating their unusual flavor Because this was always the predominant grape grown in Germany and other such countries, Riesling wineries have always been keen to experiment with its range. This has resulted in dry white wines, sparkling wines, semi sweet wines and several others, but the finest examples are usually considered to be the Riesling dessert wines. These are occasionally made with unusual processes, including the 'eiswine' method, in which the grapes are allowed to freeze in the early frosts, or by allowing the development of 'noble rot', which withers the grapes and results in some truly spectacular and unusual flavors.
Region: Wachau
As with almost all of the central European wine regions, the Austrian region of Wachau was first used for cultivating grapevines on a large scale by the Romans, two thousand years ago. Today, it remains a vitally important wine region, and is by far the most respected and widely adored region of Austria, with the wineries of Wachau enjoying their reputation for excellence and elegance when it comes to the superb wines they produce each year. The mighty river Danube that runs through the Wachau vineyards provides adequate moisture and plenty of minerals and nutrients for the region's grapes, and the warm climate helps the Riesling and Gruner Veltliner varietals which flourish there ripen slowly and fully, resulting in flavorful and characterful wines of real distinction.
Country: Austria
For over four thousand years, Austria has been home to some of Europe's finest wines, with a strong domestic wine industry which is beginning to be once again recognized for its world class quality. All over the eastern part of the country, and even in the capital, Vienna, small wineries are working with the grape varietals which flourish in the country's hot summer climate and mineral rich soils, fed by the Danube and other great rivers which cross the flat lands of this part of Austria. Most commonly, wineries work with the Grüner Veltliner grapes which grow so well here, and produce the dry and elegant white wines which typify Austria's viticultural produce. However, many other fine grape varietals are grown and used for a wide range of wine styles, including some extremely interesting sweet white wines similar to those found in neighboring Hungary.