If there is one winemaker from Lower Austria that I'd instantly recommend to someone asking for advice, then it's definitely Weingut Jurtschitsch! I really vibe with their wine making style, favouring focus and refinement over extract and power. Their Veltliners are for me some of the best you can find in Austria, especially their Loiserberg Veltliner with its thrilling minerality and citrus aromas. But this is a Riesling and not a Veltliner, so let's talk about it. The Heiligenstein is one of Austria's premier Riesling vineyards. It lies to the northeast of Langenlois and has one of the most interesting soil compositions out there. Here the vines grow on a reddish, iron rich sandstone that originates from a desert that existed there 270 Million years ago. Feldspar and volcanic rocks can also be found in the Heiligenstein. Jurtschitsch farm their vineyards biologically and prefer to harvest their grapes earlier to maintain freshness in the wines. After harvest the grapes were fermented spontaneously and then aged in large oak casks.
After opening, I decided that the wine would improve with more air, so I put it into the decanter for 1 1/2 hours. It then showed notes of lemon zest, orange blossom and peaches. Savoury touches of dried herbs, wild honey, crushed rocks and hay followed afterwards. Hints of petrol and spices on the way out. The palate starts off lively with flavours of salted lemon and wild herbs, it then shows some muscle with intense aromas of honey and lots of minerality. The acidity is very fresh, giving the wine great drinkability. A complex and long lasting finish marks the end of the wine, showing notes of crushed rocks, herbs, honey and lemon zest.
I often say that I personally prefer German Riesling from a stylistical point of view, but this Austrian Riesling easily competes with some of the really good German stuff I have had so far. It has the tart fruit aromas, sharp mineral edge and fresh acidity that I love so much in well-made Riesling. Even better than the already fantastic Loiserberg Riesling that I've had from them a few months ago. Simply put: absolutely fantastic wine!
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