Schilcher

[Saina Nieminen]

Weingut Reiterer Schilcher Sekt Traditionelle Flaschengrung, Handgerttelt von Schlumberger label

12% abv; 14; Weststeiermark; from the Blauer Wildbacher grape. I think I love this grape! It smells like the rare red I wrote about here: a mix of tart lingonberry and darker, sweeter berries, even blueberry (not the euphemism for massive oak as it sees none). Decent enough mousse. Crisp but fruity. The evaporation rate was extraordinarily high. A "soft" version of the grape with only 6g/l acidity and 12g/l sugar, but it is still racy in comparison to almost anything else. I loved it.

 

[Arnt Egil Nordlien]

Sorry I must have overseen your other post. Yes I am a fan of this style of wine...... eeh I mean grape. To me Langmann is a better than Reiterer. Strohmeier is another great producer to look out for, who also makes a splendid Schilcher BA.

Look out for the '08's. THey are far better than '07. Langmann made again a single-vineyard schilcher sekt from Hochgrail in 08 which is probably as fine as you can get a schilcher sekt.

 

[jack hott]

Seconding Strohmeier, though my opinion is somewhat influenced by the fact I've never tasted another example (well that and the all expenses paid ski-doo tour of the cellars, twenty-two minutes of room and board and a ham sandwich.) I've been waiting for the right moment to pull this out during a wine dinner...

I'm curious, though, what do you mean by "evaporation rate?"

 

[Rahsaan]

I'm curious, though, what do you mean by "evaporation rate?"

I thought he just meant the rate at which he drank the wine.

 

[Saina Nieminen]

I hope I'll see some Strohmeier. Is the grape grown outside of Steiermark at all?

Evaporation rate is simply how fast the wine disappears. In good wine, it just seems to disappear from the glass when I'm not looking.

 

[Arnt Egil Nordlien]

originally posted by Otto Nieminen:
Is the grape grown outside of Steiermark at all?

Very little. It is grown in minor quantities in Veneto where it mostly is used as a minor blending-component. But the producer Col Sandago makes a 100% red wine from it. I tasted it once and it was a very nice wine with a barbera-like freshness. There are also experimental plantings in Heppenheim.