Loimer - Austrian wines

Fred Loimer took us through a tasting of his recent Gruner Veltliner and Riesling wines from the Kamptal region in Austria. The vineyards are arranged on man-made banked terraces, 200-400 m high, near the local river and get a variety of micro-climates. The climate, influenced by the river, is very cool creating crisp wines with complex flavours from the long ripening period. They have adopted the recent classification system that is similar to that in Burgundy. They have been bio-dynamic since 2006.

• 2010 Loimer Grüner Veltliner 91 Points

  Austria, Niederösterreich, Kamptal

  Lovely golden yellow. Grapefruit and some pear on the nose. Mineral and quite crisp on the palate. Not very intense though and a little short. Apparently, this needs 1 year in the bottle to be at its best and then lasts 3 or 4 years. Very pleasant every-day wine, ideal for shellfish and sushi, at a great price.

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• 2009 Loimer Grüner Veltliner Reserve Käferberg 91 Points

  Austria, Niederösterreich, Kamptal

  Like the 2010, this is a 'premier cru' wine from the Kaferberg vineyard. 2009 was apparently an easy year. Certainly this wine is in a riper style with much less acidity than the 2010. The alcohol (13%) and sugars were the same but a very different wine. Quite round and showing honey on the ripe fruit but lacking the zing and clarity of the 2010.

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• 2010 Loimer Grüner Veltliner Reserve Käferberg 93 Points

  Austria, Niederösterreich, Kamptal

  This is their reserve wine, from a single vineyard called Kaferberg, and of Premier-Cru quality (many Austrian winemakers now mark a '1' on the label to distinguish these special cuvees). These, like the generic Kamptal GV (equivalent to a village wine - the village in this case is called Langenlois), are fermented, slowly using ambient yeasts, in large oak casks of 2,500L. Obviously, the casks are not new, so no oak-driven flavours; rather, they are used for micro-oxygenation of the wine during elevage. The bottles are sealed with a very classy glass stopper.
  The 2010 vintage was difficult with a lot of rain but the yield was very low, around 3,000 kg/ha. The nose on this is the same as the normal GV, with grapefruit and pear, but much more intense. The same bracing acidity and minerality on the palate but again more intense and very long. Seems almost oily.
  This is best drunk after a couple of years in bottle and will last 15-20 years, depending on the vintage, evolving to riper fruits, honey and generally more complexity, at the expense of some freshness. This vintage should certainly last given the acidity.
  I really liked this one and bought a couple of bottles the same day.

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• 2010 Loimer Riesling Reserve Steinmassl 92 Points

  Austria, Niederösterreich, Kamptal

  According to Fred Loimer, Gruner Veltliner needs water but Riesling needs to see water. This premier cru vineyard, Steinmassl, (meaning 'stone tool', a reference to the schist soils) overlooks the local river on banked terraces. The wine is vinified with just a little bit of residual sugar - in this case 8g/l, close to the maximum allowed. However, this is tiny compared to the typical amounts in German 'dry' Riesling which often has 40-60g/l. Certainly, a sensitive tongue-tip was needed to notice the sugar present and the finish on this was bone-dry. The nose was white peach with a floral note as well. Apparently this is closest in style to some of the Rieslings from Rheinhessen and Nahe.

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• 2009 Loimer Riesling Reserve Steinmassl 91 Points

  Austria, Niederösterreich, Kamptal

  This was a riper vintage than the 2010 with apricot on the nose. Far less obvious acidity as well with a rounder style. Mineral and quite intense though. These Rieslings will last 10-20 years in bottle, evolving the usual petrol notes.

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Very good wines at affordable prices.