Meet up with Gerhard Markowitsch

Tasted Thursday, March 15, 2012 by Sleepy Dave with 571 views

Introduction

Meet up with Gerhard Markowitsch to taste some of his wines. His wines are delicate and quite elegance in style. All wines possess very good freshness, rich but not heavy. Although the wines are not necessary highly complex, all are really delicious and friendly. Furthermore, the prices remain reasonable.

Flight 1 - Flight 1 - White (3 Notes)

I must say I'm impressed by the Chardonnay!

  • 2009 Gerhard Markowitsch Sauvignon Blanc 85 Points

    Austria, Niederösterreich, Carnuntum

    Alcohol :: 13.4%
    Straw yellow in color. Soft perfumed aroma of grape fruits, lemon and cold saline mineral note. Quite mouth filling and weighty for a Saug Blanc. Subtle flavors of grapefruits, lemon lime and touch of spiciness lingering at the long finish with good freshness. Really quite tasty though there was some alcohol heat at the very end which took away some balance.

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  • 2011 Gerhard Markowitsch Grüner Veltliner Alte Reben 85 Points

    Austria, Niederösterreich, Carnuntum

    Alcohol :: 14.3%
    Age of Vines: 40 to 45 years. Quite cold and reticent on the nose, white peach, fresh guava and tobacco. Soft and friendly on the palate with savory, saline minerality and very light spiciness flows through from the entry to the finish. The wine is getting more intense at the finish. Medium length with mineral and bitter orange peel aftertaste.

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  • 2007 Gerhard Markowitsch Chardonnay Schüttenberg 89 Points

    Austria, Niederösterreich, Carnuntum

    I was impressed by this Chardonnay and the vines are only 5yrs old! Very aromatic and delicate with complex aroma of creamy butter, pepper, melon, lemon and vanilla. Rounded, creamy texture that cloaked the intense lemony fruits and the lively acidity give a firm support and balance. This is seriously juicy and delicious, especially with its soft buttery, spiciness. There is a light touch of wood showing right after the mid palate for better dimension and leads to the intense, energetic long finish. This is truly delicious Chardonnay but shame that it is not available here!

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Flight 2 - Flight 2 - Zweigelt (1 Note)

  • 2009 Gerhard Markowitsch Zweigelt Rubin Carnuntum 85 Points

    Austria, Niederösterreich, Carnuntum

    Alcohol :: 12.9%
    12months in barrel. 10%new oak. Rich, sweet red cherry and raspberry in the core, with creamy note and clove. Spicy and have a fair amount of tannin presence. Medium structure but with soft texture accompany by mild spiciness, rich red fruits and long, juicy finish. Not overly complex but definitely a good wine that will benefit for another 3yrs of bottle age. Lovely spicy tones and freshness.

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Flight 3 - Flight 3 - Pinot Noir (4 Notes)

The straight Pinot Noir is fresh and subtle, rounded and fine. The Reserve offers better bodied and structure as well as depth, but it is also more expensive which to me the straight offer much better QPR.

  • 2009 Gerhard Markowitsch Pinot Noir 85 Points

    Austria, Niederösterreich, Carnuntum

    Alcohol :: 13.1%
    100% destemmed. Bright light ruby red. A touch of greenish on the nose with salty red fruits, saline mineral and wild tone. Medium bodied, generous fruits on the palate and rich, but not heavy. This is seductive for the fruits and little touch of spicy oakiness. Very fresh and pure. A little bit sweet and cold at the back end, long finish. Lovely Pinot though simple but it is delicious, especially for the price!

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  • 2008 Gerhard Markowitsch Pinot Noir Reserve 86 Points

    Austria, Niederösterreich, Carnuntum

    Alcohol :: 13%
    Age of vines - 20-25yrs. 16-18months in 50-60% new french oak. The nose is still a bit shy, only displays soft red cherry and berry fruits with underlying mineral. This is definitely a step up from the straight Pinot. Good structured balance by the round sweet red cherry and blackberry fruits. The tannin is well integrated and everything wrapped in a silky cloak. This has lovely freshness and vibrancy, with saline mineral infused long finish that is a little bit bitter bite at the end. Need times. 86-87+

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  • 2007 Gerhard Markowitsch Pinot Noir Reserve 87 Points

    Austria, Niederösterreich, Carnuntum

    Alcohol :: 13.5%
    Similar to the 2008, the nose is shy but showing a bit more on the savory plum and spicy note. Rounder on the palate too and slightly bigger in term of tannin structure. This has better grip as the tannin kick in after the mid palate and accompany by medium complex flavors of spices, bitter sweet cocoa, darker fruits towards the spicier, fresh, long finished. This too has a touch of bitterness at the very end, but is acceptable. This is the style? 87-88

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  • 2004 Gerhard Markowitsch Pinot Noir Reserve 87 Points

    Austria, Niederösterreich, Carnuntum

    Alcohol :: 13.5%
    This has the sweetest tone in the line up. Expressive with its perfumed note of floral, strawberry, salted plum as well as dried herbs. Higher acidic structure, but this has very good harmony between the sweet dark and red fruits, saline mineral and bitterness derives from the tannin and oak. Not overly bitter compare to the previous bottle though, which I suspect the previous bottle having bottle variation. Rounded and creamy on the finish, lingered with spiciness.

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Flight 4 - Flight 4 - Single Vineyard Rosenberg (2 Notes)

Predominantly Zweigelt blended with Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon.

  • 2003 Gerhard Markowitsch 1ÖTW Rosenberg 88 Points

    Austria, Niederösterreich, Carnuntum

    60% Zweigelt, 30% merlot, 10% cab sauv. 20months in 100% barrique.
    Intense aroma of sweet plum, red currant, spices and savory tone, this has darker fruits profile and extra dimension to it. Medium - full bodied. Bright entry, good roundness and richness on the mid palate that buffered off the firm acidic structure. Everything is in a good harmony that show good freshness and complexity. I especially enjoy the subtle spicy aftertaste at the long, elegant finished. Very good.

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  • 2008 Gerhard Markowitsch 1ÖTW Rosenberg 89 Points

    Austria, Niederösterreich, Carnuntum

    Alcohol :: 14.1%
    The Rosenberg has more Merlot content (45% vs 30% in 2003) hence it displays more earthy, leathery and smoke meatiness along with blackcurrant and spices This is also less sweet in the core. Savory entry, smoke meat, concentrated dark currant fruits supported by firm tannin structure. The acid is bright and lively, rounded texture. Palate staining intensity but leave no heaviness on the palate. Good sense of elegance and clean on the long finish. Very good!

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Flight 5 - Flight 5 - The best of Markowitsch (2 Notes)

Only produced in great year - 2000, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2006, 2007, 2009 & 2011. By far the best in today line up. These wines have excellent structure, depth and scale yet with sufficient concentration for the right balance and long haul. They deserve at least 5-7yrs of bottle age before being consumed.

  • 2009 Gerhard Markowitsch M1 89 Points

    Austria, Niederösterreich, Carnuntum

    Alcohol :: 14.5%
    24months in 100% new oak. 85% merlot and the rest zweigelt.
    The nose is highly intense and powerful, by far the biggest scale among the wines today. Good focus with complex savoriness, cedar and cheesy-ness sailing alongside with leather, mild spices and herbs and sweet plum and currants at the core. Medium-full bodied, it has fine-grained tannin and good structure with layer of cedar, vanilla, dark chocolate and blackberry fruits for the good depth and complexity. The intense, long finish is lingering with chalky mineral. It has good balance and roundness to access today but it will need min 5yrs to hit the peak. 89-90+

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  • 2006 Gerhard Markowitsch M1 87 Points

    Austria, Niederösterreich, Carnuntum

    The aroma here is as deep as the 2009 but it is even more expressive today. Peppery, savory, earthy, blackcurrant and blackberry fruits coated with spices. Good sweetness and richness here, it doesn't has the typical cold tone of Austrian wines. Powerful and tannic, the scale is big and the finish is long and powerful. However, some alcohol heats also detected at the end.

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