Domaine – a Journey through the Wachau

Why Wachau?

• UNESCO world heritage site since 2000 • One of the most spectacular winemaking regions in the world, producing some of the best white wines in the world, with decades of ageing potential • Idyllic scenery with steeply terraced vineyards and quaint historical villages • 12 miles long, along the • Many wineries dating back at least 8 generations • Nikolaihof • A special wine designation • 3 distinct styles • Fascinating geology

History

• Austria's most famous wine-growing region • first mentioned 830 A.D. - in a Carolingian certificate. • tradition of wine-growing dates back to the time of the Roman settlement of the Wachau and experiences its first heyday under the rule of the Carolingians • In the , the Wachau wines were well known far beyond the borders of Austria • not many landscapes in Europe whose boundaries are defined as precisely as those of the Wachau: the Danube valley between Melk and Krems • The Wachau is a history made along 33 kilometers of river, wine and cultural landscape in the midst of the majestic Benedictine Melk and Göttweig

Geology • Tectonic plates collided 350 million years ago creating mountains

• Over time, heat and pressure metamorphosed these granite mountains into gneiss, marble and amphibolite – the main bedrocks in the region

• The Danube River gorged its way through this gneiss leaving marine deposits (clay and calcareous marl) in former river beds before finding the way to its current location

• Ice Age winds blew eastern (e.g. Loess) - lower slopes and flatter parts of the region

• areas in front of steep hills collected erosion deposits and have much deeper top-soils

Terraces • 1000 year-old man-made stone wall terraces are visually and culturally stunning

• considered “dry”: no mortar holding them together

• allowing water to drain through

• simultaneously protecting the terraces from erosion

• providing much needed heat

• special attention is paid to the maintenance of this determining feature

Vineyard area: 1 344 ha

Principal Grape Varieties: Grüner Veltliner &

Leading viticultural towns: Spitz, Arnsdorf, Wösendorf, Joching,Weissenkirchen, Dürnstein, Loiben, Rossatz, Mautern

Wineries: 232

Top Producers: F. X. Pichler, Prager, Rudi Pichler, Franz Hirtzberger, Emmerich Knoll, Josef Jamek

DOMÄNE WACHAU ARTISANSHIP AND AUTHENTICITY

DOMÄNE WACHAU ARTISANSHIP AND AUTHENTICITY WHY DOMÄNE WACHAU • highest quality • largest producer of Wachau wine • member of the Vinea Wachau Nobilis Districtus quality association • produces wines in the categories Steinfeder, Federspiel and Smaragd • Grapes are sourced from own vineyards in the Wachau (purchase of grapes, must or wine from outside the Wachau is not permitted) • Domäne Wachau is among the largest wineries in Austria • produces wines in the premium segment only • one of the top ten best white wine producers in Austria

• deeply rooted in the Wachau region • close to 440 hectares of vineyards • cultivated by the members of this quality-oriented cooperative – 30 percent of the entire Wachau vineyard area • famous names like Achleiten, Kollmitz, Loibenberg and Tausend-Eimer-Berg are found on the Domäne Wachau’s vineyard map and make it the only winery in the Wachau with wines from all of the most prestigious sites in the region • “one of the best co-ops in the world” (JR) • vinifies almost half the Achleiten • Heinz & Roman • 300 year-old cellar

SOILS GEOLOGY • Very diverse, despite the geographically small extent

• The peculiarity of the Wachau landscape arose because the Danube had to pave its way through hard, crystalline primeval rock

• These oldest rocks of Austria, the "Bohemian Mass", are the remaining pedestal of an ancient mountain range

• Gföhler gneiss and paragneisses of the Wachau were formerly deep rocks or sediments that have changed under great pressure and heat in the earth's mantle and now form the basis of the Wachau soils

• Gneisses are rich in quartz and also contain minerals such as mica and feldspar

• Wines from Rieden of these soils are characterized by exact mineral notes and elegant fruit. DOMÄNE WACHAU | DÜRNSTEIN SOIL PROFILES

Ried Ried Ried Ried Singerriedel Achleiten Kellerberg Loibenberg Gneiss Amphibolites Sandy Loess Gföhler Gneiss WACHAU GEOLOGY

Amphibolites Marble Gföhler Gneiss Paragneiss Granodioritgneiss Loess / Gravel /

WACHAU CLIMATE

WESTERN WACHAU • In the western village of Spitz and the Spitzer graben, cooling breezes from the northern Waldviertal forest aid in keeping overall temperatures down, resulting in leaner wines with fresh and vibrant acidity. CENTRAL WACHAU • In the central district near Weissenkirchner the climate becomes more influenced by the warming breezes resulting in slightly richer styles. • Fertile Loess and amphibolite soils result in well-structured styles in the famous Achleiten and Hochrain vineyards. EASTERN WACHAU • Surrounding Dürnstein, even further east, the climate warms even more. • More fleshy and richly textured styles are consistently found on gneiss (granite-like) infertile soils, such as the large 25ha Loibenberg vineyard.

The Codex Wachau and the brands Steinfeder®, Federspiel® and Smaragd® stand for natural winemaking, assured provenance and strict self-control. VINEA WACHAU

The Vinea Wachau (Vinea Wachau Nobilis Districtus) was founded in 1983 as an association of winemakers in the Wachau wine-growing area.

Restricting the production of wine to the legally-defined growing area only, and the commitment without compromise to quality, origin and purity, are the association´s main principles.

The name Vinea Wachau Nobilis Districtus actually dates back to Leuthold I von Kuenring (1243-1313). The core of his possessions was comprised of what is today the wine-growing area of Wachau. • Obligated to commit to the promotion and preservation of the wine culture of the Wachau.

• 200 members who use the registered trademarks Steinfeder®, Federspiel® and Smaragd® to emphasize and show their constant search for superior quality. ROMAN HORVATH MW, WINERY DIRECTOR & HEINZ FRISCHENGRUBER, WINEMAKER

STEINFEDER (Stipa pennata) • Fruity charm, fresh yet elegant & versatile – the Steinfeder® • stipulated maximum alcohol content of 11.5% • characterize the lightest style of top Vinea Wachau wines • refers to the typical "Steinfedergras”, a grass which grows near the vines in the Wachau´s terraced vineyards; light like a feather, and fragrant – just like the wine named after it • Recommended for early consumption • European feather grass/Orphan maidenhair • an endangered flowering plant and arid zone sand grass, which is grown as an ornamental plant for its feathery flowering spikes “a pure, precise and fresh nose, subtle hints of citrus, Golden Delicious apple, tangerine, hints of fresh pepper; very light and fresh on the palate with a refreshing acidity and rich fruit flavours; a classic Steinfeder: very fresh, light and at the same time elegant and versatile”

“

• A nuanced and strong character characterizes this classically dry wine

• must weight from 17° KMW

• alcohol content between 11.5% and 12.5%/vol

• The name "Federspiel" comes from hawk hunt/falconry (to retrieve the beizvogels), a popular form of noble hunting earlier times in the Wachau

SMARAGD (Lacerta Viridis) • the best, most treasured wines from the members

• alcohol content of at least 12.5% by volume

• late-harvested, rich and powerful

• highest grape ripeness and natural concentration – a world-class designation possible

• emerald-coloured lizards (also known as Smaragd) are at home in the terraced vineyards of the Wachau

• the perfect symbol for the absolute top Wachau wines with full physiological ripeness. On bright, sunny days, their beauty is highlighted dramatically as they bask in the gleaming sun next to the grapevines

DOMÄNE WACHAU CELLAR DOMÄNE WACHAU CELLAR RARE AND MATURED WINES DOMÄNE WACHAU BACKSTAGE DOMÄNE WACHAU BACKSTAGE AUSTRIA WACHAU • 46 500 hectares • 1 344 hectares • 36% Grüner • planted mainly to Grüner Veltliner Veltliner (52%) and Riesling • 26 white and 14 red (16%) varieties officially • other whites: 14% (Neuburger, approved for Müller Thurgau and Gelber production of quality Muskateller for sparkling, dry, wine off-dry & sweet) • two-thirds planted • 82% planted with white with white varieties • about 10% red • about 30% red Grüner Veltliner • lean, mineral-driven dry white wine

• flavours range from spicy (arugula, pepper, smoky) and herbal (coriander seed) to floral (white flowers) and fruity (green apple and pear to apricots and tropical fruits)

• retains a plush, rounded texture, well supported by lively acidity levels

• a richer mouthfeel than Riesling wines, making tasting them side-by-side much more compelling

• Styles: Baroque; plump/fat Riesling

• a more taut and racy backbone of acidity

• less weighty than Grüner Veltliner

• a range of complex aromas: from honeysuckle/apple blossom floral component, moving to ripe peach and lime zest

• a long salty, mineral-driven finish Winemaking

Oak: By law, no wines can show “noticeable” flavours, so most winemakers use neutral oak (if any at all). There are a few proponents of oak-aging who argue that it adds to the wine’s structure and richness. Wines with oak tend to be a bit creamier.

Skin contact: Skin contact is another technique - it varies depending on producer. Proponents of long skin contact (up to 10 days) note that it seems to coax out attributes unique to the of an individual site. Wines with longer skin contact tend to be a bit weightier and tannic. Lees: Lees ageing also impacts the style of wine in the Wachau. Long lees contact is known to soften hard/bitter phenolics resulting in a creamier, rounder texture. Some will age from 12 months to as long as 13 years (in one unique instance)!

Noble Rot: One final winemaking technique used is the addition of a small percentage of botrytized berries () which adds both a richer texture and additional aroma compounds which give the wine more complexity in the aromatics.

• Austrian are almost always dry

• They tend to be fuller-bodied than German Rieslings but are often steelier and more lively than Rieslings from Alsace

• They can display gorgeous fruit and herbal flavors as well as great minerality, that catchall term often used to describe stony, rocky, earthy flavors. –

– MINERALOGY

• a recent term (1980’s)! • no agreed definition - they are odourless, and their concentration in wine is far below the taste threshold… • assumption that mineral wines are superior to “mass market”, NW, fruity wines • expressing the mystery of the soil? • Dr Richard Smart: “invented term as a wine descriptor” • does seem more prominent in places where the wine show less fruit and more acidity • much between-judge variability • Burgundian winemakers: stone/flint acid/fresh sea/shellfish Minerality

“The aromatic character of a wine that reflects its particular soil type, for example primary rock. Mineral wines generally have a slightly salty character, or aroma of flint stones. The definition of minerality is quite difficult to grasp, but is currently widely used.”

VINEA WACHAU

https://www.vinea-wachau.at/mywachau/rieden/ GRÜNER VELTLINER FEDERSPIEL RIED KREUZBERG 2017 GRÜNER VELTLINER FEDERSPIEL RIED LOIBENBERG 2017 RIESLING FEDERSPIEL RIED BRUCK 2017 RIESLING FEDERSPIEL RIED LOIBENBERG 2017 GRÜNER VELTLINER SMARAGD RIED AXPOINT 2017 GRÜNER VELTLINER SMARAGD RIED KELLERBERG 2017 RIESLING SMARAGD RIED SINGERRIEDEL 2017 RIESLING SMARAGD RIED ACHLEITEN 2017 RIED ACHLEITEN RIED ACHLEITEN – Blind Tasting

RIESLING SMARAGD RIED ACHLEITEN 9. Riesling Smaragd Achleiten 2012 10. Riesling Smaragd Achleiten 2002 11. Riesling Kabinett Achleiten 1982 THANK YOU!

DOMÄNE WACHAU 3601 DÜRNSTEIN 107

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