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grounds things beautifully. Lasting and lovely. Carlo
Huber Selections. —A.K.
abv: 13.5% Price: $33
92
R&A Pfaffl 2015 Passion Reserve Riesling
(Niederösterreich). Notions of very ripe,
almost golden apricots shimmer in the glass. There
is a touch of honey and a hedonistic peachy note that
pervades this entire wine from first sniff to lasting
finish. This is dry Riesling at its roundest and peachiest.
I defy anyone not to drink a second glass. The
finish is delicious and moreish. Esprit du Vin. —A.K.
abv: 13% Price: $75
92
Rainer Wess 2015 Loibenberg Riesling
(Wachau). Very ripe pear and plum notions
dominate the nose. The palate has concentration
and drive but still blossoms with generous fleshy
fruit of great purity. This is an expression of joy and
ripeness—of ready overflowing fruit kept taut and in
focus by ripe orange freshness. The long finish has
a touch of earth. Russell Herman Selection. —A.K.
abv: 13% Price: $40
91
Brandl 2015 Kogelberg Reserve Riesling
(Kamptal). Gentle hints of fragrant orange
and soft hints of ripe mandarin grace the nose and
palate. Despite all the precision, there is a gentleness
to the way these heady citrus flavors are
expressed. The palate adds ample lemon freshness,
a slender body and a clean finish. MS Walker. —A.K.
abv: 14% Price: $23
91
Ebner-Ebenauer 2015 Riesling (Niederösterreich).
An initially funky hint on the nose
soon turns into exotically spicy notions of lime zest
and grapefruit foliage with riper notions of peach
shimmering through. This dances on tiptoe, it
speaks of ease and joy, is lively and refreshing with a
lovely lemony finish. Winemonger. —A.K.
abv: 13% Price: $22
91
Graf Hardegg 2015 Riesling Spätlese (Niederösterreich).
Honey and the perfumed notes of
quince are immediately apparent on this Spätlese
Riesling. The sweetness is carried beautifully by
ripe notions of peach, additional quince and apricot
coulis, balanced and countered by the fresh, ripe
and pliable acidity of oranges and tangerines. This
is slightly decadent and very harmonious. Perhaps
sweet enough for an apricot tart but certainly a
killer with salty blue cheeses. No other grape can
perform the same tightrope walk as Riesling. Enjoy.
World Wine Headquarters. —A.K.
abv: 11.5% Price: $29
91
Graf Hardegg 2015 Steinbügel Riesling (Niederösterreich).
The fragrant lift of conifer
and citrus, of cypress and mandarin leaves, will
make Riesling lovers swoon. The palate follows with
plump yet precise stone fruit including apricot and
peach. Sunshine seems to dominate the palate. This
is full-frontal charm in a glass: decadently fruited
but utterly balanced and sharp. Simply lovely and
utterly moreish. Drink soon for top aromatics.
World Wine Headquarters. —A.K.
abv: 14% Price: $39
91
Hermann Moser 2015 Gebling Kellerterrassen
Reserve Riesling (Kremstal). Lovely and aromatic
notes of ripe orange flesh and peel are abundant
on nose and palate. The flavors are made zingy
by zesty grapefruit and seem to have a fizz all of
their own that sprays freshness. A most appetizing,
enlivening Riesling with great verve. Boutique Wine
Collection. —A.K.
abv: 13.5% Price: $45
91
Ingrid Groiss 2015 Auf der Henne Reserve
Riesling (Niederösterreich). Evocative hints
of orange and tangerine peel softly rise from the
glass. This leads onto zesty citrus flavors and a
wonderfully streamlined, effortlessly powerful palate
bursting with freshness and life. You may not
readily associate Weinviertel with Riesling but in
this single stony site it works incredibly well! Circo
Vino. —A.K.
abv: 14% Price: $47
91
Rainer Wess 2015 Pfaffenberg Reserve Riesling
(Kremstal). Ripe, almost candied notions
of stone fruit appear. They are so concentrated they
have an almost fruit-jelly intensity. There also is a
note of earth that flows from the nose onto the generous
fleshy palate. The finish is clean on this wine,
which holds all the fruit of a ripe and generous year.
Russell Herman Selection. —A.K.
abv: 13% Price: $40
90
Steininger 2015 Steinhaus Reserve Riesling
(Kamptal). There are hints of apple
and apricot on the nose. The palate shows not just
freshness but also the ripe and tangy citrus bite of
tangerine and orange. The finish is clean and totally
refreshing. KWSelection.com. —A.K.
abv: 13% Price: $35
90
Türk 2015 Kremser Wachtberg Reserve Riesling
(Kremstal). The lemony nose promises
freshness. Tangy citrus fruits are abundant on the
flowing palate, which wraps you up in its easy freshness.
This is balanced, fruity and very refreshing.
Balanced Wine Selections LLC. —A.K.
abv: 13.5%
Price: $NA
90
Winzer Krems 2015 Kremser Pfaffenberg
Reserve Riesling (Kremstal). A wonderfully
breezy and fresh citric nose leads to an equally fresh,
light-footed but ripe palate full of citrus impressions:
lemon and tangerine, orange and pink grapefruit.
This is clean, easy and very enjoyable with a
real refreshment factor. Saranty Imports. —A.K.
abv: 13.5% Price: $25
89
Schwarzböck 2015 Auichleiten Reserve Riesling
(Niederösterreich). A subdued nose
leads onto a subtle citrus-edged palate of grapefruit
and lemon peel with some richer notions of lemon
oil appearing here and there. This is an understated,
fresh and clean Riesling. Skurnik Wines, Inc. —A.K.
abv: 13% Price: $22
91
SAUVIGNON BLANC
Lackner Tinnacher 2015 Ried Steinbach Sauvignon
Blanc (Südsteiermark). A very slight
notion of hazelnut hovers on the fresh nose. The
palate comes with wonderful citric intensity of
ripe lemon and a dash of lime. That same smoky
hint stays on the palate throughout, adding an
extra dimension. The finish is pleasantly long and
refreshing. MS Walker. —A.K.
abv: 13.5% Price: $40
91
Neumeister 2015 Klausen Sauvignon Blanc
(Vulkanland Steiermark). Aromatic hints of
tomato leaf and pea shoots make for a highly appetizing
nose. The concentrated body adds lovely notions
of ripe mirabelle plums and combines fulsome fruit
with ample zest. The midpalate maximizes these
flavors and leaves you with a very refreshing finish.
Frederick Wildman & Sons, Ltd. —A.K.
abv: 13.5% Price: $38
90
Lackner Tinnacher 2015 Sauvignon Blanc
(Südsteiermark). Mossy freshness and fragrance
appear on the shy subdued nose. The wonderfully
slender and sprightly palate is fresh and
delicate. There is something subtle and lithe about
this, which is very uplifting. The finish is refreshing
and clean. MS Walker. —A.K.
abv: 12.5% Price: $19
93
PINOT GRIS
Meinklang 2015 Graupert Natural Pinot Gris
(Burgenland). Gorgeously lifted rich notes
of orange zest fill the nose of this beautiful “orange”
wine. Fermented on skins, it has all the elegance of
white wine, combined with the tannic structure and
backbone of red. Made from pink Pinot Gris grapes,
this lends itself beautifully to this treatment and
leaves us with an intriguing, concentrated, fresh
and whistle-clean wine of great expression. Savor
its salty orange-scented length. KWSelection.com.
—A.K.
abv: 13% Price: $29
91
Meinklang 2015 Graupert Pinot Gris (Burgenland).
There is a wonderfully aromatic
element of something floral and tropical on the
nose of this unusual Pinot Gris. The fruit expression
is very ripe, reminiscent of melon and juicy
pear, highlighted with pineapple and fresh lemon,
but there also is ample zesty freshness for balance.
If you thought you had tasted all that Pinot
Gris has to offer, taste this one, which was created
from unpruned vines left to their own devices and
bearing deliciously few clusters of delicious fruit.
KWSelection.com. —A.K.
abv: 12.5% Price: $19
102 | WINE ENTHUSIAST | MARCH 2017