Weingut Hirsch Rieslings, 2003-2008

Vin Vino, Palo Alto and Wallse, New York
Tasted Tuesday, August 17, 2010 - Saturday, August 21, 2010 by drwine2001 with 531 views

Introduction

Quite a fascinating, diverse group of wines from a single Austrian producer. The most pleasant surprise to me was the showing of the basic Zobing bottlings, but the '05 Heiligenstein stole the show (at least if you prize very dry examples of Riesling).

Flight 1 (7 Notes)

  • 2007 Weingut Hirsch Riesling Zöbing

    Austria, Niederösterreich, Kamptal

    (8/17/2010)

    Pale. Shy aromatics. Light and mineral, quite dry, apply fruit with some citrus, excellent acidity and mouth coverage, properly bitter finish for its youth and lots of earth on the finish. This is a terrific entry level Riesling which should be even better in 1-2 years with some softening.

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  • 2005 Weingut Hirsch Riesling Zöbing

    Austria, Niederösterreich, Kamptal

    (8/17/2010)

    More deeply yellow than any other wine. Low pitched orange on the nose. Rounder and weightier than the '07 and off dry. A strong cherry/red fruit character emerges. Yes, I said red fruit. Very interesting wine, but I prefer the more classic '07.

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  • 2006 Weingut Hirsch Riesling Gaisberg

    Austria, Niederösterreich, Kamptal

    (8/17/2010)

    Similar shade to the '05 Zobing. Slightly floral at first. Fuller, rich citrus and stone fruit with some spice. Then it fattens up and shows predominant peach. Good minerality, lower acidity, bitter finish that is not harmonious with the mid-palate. Too loose a style for me.

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  • 2008 Weingut Hirsch Riesling Zöbinger Heiligenstein

    Austria, Niederösterreich, Kamptal

    (8/17/2010)

    Quite light color. Wildly, sickly sweet florality which is more like Gewurztraminer or Gruner than Riesling. Thin feel which becomes richer, underripe pineapple fruit, cyanic finish. This was just like drinking Gewurz. Most disjointed and unpleasant wine in the series. Unlike anything else in the line up.

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  • 2006 Weingut Hirsch Riesling Zöbinger Heiligenstein

    Austria, Niederösterreich, Kamptal

    (8/17/2010)

    Light yellow with scent of yellow peach. Big wine with some residual sugar, in fact, the sweetest tasting wine of the lot. Like the '06 Gaisberg, lower acidity, but unlike that wine, this is pulled together on the finish by powerful soil tones and minerality. Not precise enough to rise to the top for me, but despite its degree of sweetness, I still prefer it to the Gaisberg from this year.

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  • 2005 Weingut Hirsch Riesling Zöbinger Heiligenstein

    Austria, Niederösterreich, Kamptal

    (8/17/2010)

    Visually the same as the '06 Heiligenstein, but oh my, what a different animal! Subdued fruit and the only wine with any petrol tones. Much lighter and linear than the fat '06. Completely dry with distinctive quinine flavor. Long, earthy finish and the most austere wine despite being the oldest. This begs for more time in the bottle. A complete counterpoint to the wine of the subsequent vintage, this is lean, classic, dry Riesling.

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  • 2003 Weingut Hirsch Riesling Gaisberg

    Austria, Niederösterreich, Kamptal

    (8/21/2010)

    Light to medium yellow. This was a dead ringer for a dry apple cider on the nose. Smaragd type weight but certainly not ponderous, full of red apple, spice, and cardamon. Alive and surprsingly vibrant for an '03. Excellent.

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