Kracher wines with Bacchus Wine Society

A LOT of sugar in one evening. But also some of the best and certainly most unusual and interesting sweet wines I've yet had. Particular note goes to the Zweigelt, which is strange, quite delicious and relatively affordable. I have made a concerted effort to be realistic with my scoring here. These wines are all so sweet that it's difficult to stop yourself from just going crazy with the scores. As a result, some of the wines scoring in the high 80s are actually better than some of the sweet wines I've previous scored say 90 or 91 but these days I'm trying not to over-rate stickies.

Oh and that 2005 #8 is just ridiculous.

Note: the numbered TBAs are given the designation "Zwischen den Seen" which means fermentation and ageing in stainless steel vats, or "Nouvelle Vague" which indicates the use of oak.

• 2008 Alois Kracher Cuvée Auslese 85 Points

  Austria, Burgenland, Neusiedlersee

  70% Welschriesling, 30% Chardonnay. Somewhat muted nose - tinned fruit and white flowers, chardonnay evident on the nose. Good sweetness/acidity balance but a little bland. Alcohol comes through a touch on the palate but not too much. RS: 81 g/l. Acidity: 6.4 g/l. Alc: 12.5%

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• 2007 Alois Kracher Muskat Ottonel Auslese 86 Points

  Austria, Burgenland, Neusiedlersee

  Floral, grapey Muscat-y nose, mildly botrytised (comes through more on the palate). As far as Muscat goes, this is pretty uninspiring, but decent enough. RS: 85 g/l. Acidity: 6.1 g/l. Alc: 13%

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• 2008 Alois Kracher Zweigelt Beerenauslese 88 Points

  Austria, Burgenland, Neusiedlersee

  Pinot Noir-like nose + a caramelised note. Weird. Lots of acid, very refreshing, port-like mid palate but obviously without the burn. Much better integrated than the previous two wines of this tasting. Decent length finish, botrytis nicely evident at the back. Worth the price of entry just to experience it, but also a really rather good wine. RS: 135 g/l. Acidity: 5.8 g/l. Alc: 11.5%

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• NV Alois Kracher Trockenbeerenauslese 92 Points

  Austria, Burgenland, Neusiedlersee

  This particular NV blend is 50% Welschriesling, 45% Chardonnay, 5% Traminer. My first TBA of any sort ever (followed in quick succession by 4 others in this tasting...), the jump in richness is really evident. This has a lovely clean zesty orange peel and floral note on the nose that lifts it above being sickly. The intensity on the palate is lovely, the balance exceptional. This is fat but in no way cloying, and beautifully spicy, the botrytis not shouting but certainly making its presence felt. Really beautiful - shame this blend appears to change so much, this one is a real winner. RS: 164 g/l. Acidity: 6.9 g/l. Alc: 10.5%

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• 2007 Alois Kracher Traminer TBA #2 Nouvelle Vague 87 Points

  Austria, Burgenland, Neusiedlersee

  The only one of the TBAs that I felt didn't quite manage to contain its sweetness. This has 18 months in barriques and the oak is definitely evident on the nose, though so well integrated many didn't pick it up at all. The sweetness on this one, however, is overwhelming, and you get a botrytis bullet going straight down your tongue. Once your bleached tastebuds have recovered, there's not a huge amount of flavour remaining. That said, the nose is lovely, and once you get used to it it's pretty good. But a little cloying, and too intense without the flavour to back it up. RS: 213 g/l. Acidity: 6 g/l. Alc: 11%

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• 2006 Alois Kracher Scheurebe TBA #5 Zwischen den Seen 91 Points

  Austria, Burgenland, Neusiedlersee

  Big lychee and floral nose (all of these wines are so floral!). Highest acid of the bunch so far, really very persistent right to the end, very impressive. The most floral and lifted of the wines tasted tonight. I've given this 91 but it was bracketed by two *immensely* sweet wines so the delicacy (if you can call it that with its 183 g/l of residual sugar) of this was probably bludgeoned a little. This is the one I'd be most interested to retaste. RS: 183 g/l. Acidity: 7.3 g/l. Alc: 11.5%

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• 2005 Alois Kracher Welschriesling TBA #8 Zwischen den Seen 95 Points

  Austria, Burgenland, Neusiedlersee

  Gargantuan. The most luscious, concentrated wine I have yet tasted, this really is a dessert in itself. Smooth and fat but almost seamless, I can't believe how well this is dealing with its 27% sugar! Just exquisite, a beautiful pure mango flavour joined by a little passion fruit and sweet floral honey on the finish. Amazing. Will be very difficult to open my only bottle of this. RS: 274 g/l. Acidity: 7.6 g/l. Alc: 8.0%

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• 1999 Alois Kracher Grande Cuvée TBA #6 Nouvelle Vague 89 Points

  Austria, Burgenland, Neusiedlersee

  80% Chardonnay, 20% Welschriesling. I thought this was a little oxidised (in a bad way) - no-one else seemed to agree, but there was definitely a liquorice/burnt caramel thing coming across strongly on the nose, kind of like old dry white Bordeaux. Lovely mature flavours coming through though - I'd be interested to try some of the other TBAs with 15-20 years on them to see how they hold up. Score may be a little low if this truly was slightly faulty. RS: 204 g/l. Acidity: 8.4 g/l. Alc: 10.5%

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