Austria

The grapes for this delicious Zweigelt are sustainably farmed from vineyards located in the dry, hot region Seewinkel region of Neusiedlersee. The soils are also quite dry and gritty full of minerals which are imparted to this refined wine made by Pepi Umathum and Domaine Andau working in tandem at their green, solar and wind powered winery. An incredibly deep red color with a nose of fresh plums and dark berries and hints of black pepper. Lovely weight balanced by acidity and a long juicy finish.

92 Points! I like the peach and white stone fruit aromas, brightened by white pepper and salty minerality. Clean, balanced and medium-bodied, with distinctive gruner pepperiness yet nicely restrained. Drink now.- JamesSuckling.com

93 Points! This entry-level blaufrankisch has a stunning depth of black-cherry fruit plus a breathtaking vitality on the medium-bodied palate. Fantastic precision in the long, fresh and mineral finish. From young vines (up to 25 years) in St. Margarethen plus amounts from Donnerskirchen and Mullendorf. From organically grown grapes. Drink or hold. - JamesSuckling.com

91 Points! Plump, tangy and fresh, this offers a core of green apple, peach and meadow blossoms, with a squeeze of lemon. A deliciously drinkable Riesling, with great harmony, showing notes of herbs and chamomile. Finishes dry but not austere. Drink now through 2031. - Wine Spectator

93 Points! Cool and elegant, yet juicy and wonderfully fresh, this medium-bodied gruner vetliner has the garden herb and celery aromas of the grape. As lightly as this skips over the palate, and as crisp as it is in the finish, there’s very good substance here. It should stay fresh for quite a few years. From organically grown grapes. Drink or hold. Screw cap. - JamesSuckling.com

93 Points! Chopped apples, honey and lemon pith on the nose, with an earthy minerality too. It’s medium-bodied, creamy and layered, with a long and delicious finish. Sustainable. Drink or hold. Screw cap. - JamesSuckling.com

93 Points! This unusual gruner veltliner is brimming with floral aromas and has a wonderful interplay of restrained creaminess, bright yellow apple and pear fruit and elegant acidity on the medium-bodied palate. Long, precise finish. Sustainable. Drink or hold. Screw cap. - JamesSuckling.com

92 Points! A very fresh style of gruner veltliner with crisp pear, lemon balm and chamomile aromas, plus very lively acidity for this grape on the medium-bodied palate. Long, crisp finish with stacks of lemon zest freshness. Sustainable. Drink now. Screw cap. - JamesSuckling.com

97 Points! So floral that you think you’re standing in a garden on a summer evening! Underlining deep black-cherry and blueberry fruit. Really fantastic concentration and freshness on the medium-bodied palate. The fine tannins build wonderfully at the simultaneously driving and brilliant finish. Doesn’t want to stop! From 50 to 90-year-old vines in a vineyard with chalky soil, gently sloping towards the east. Limited production. Drink or hold. - JamesSuckling.com

From the importer: Blaufrankisch is the variety that has lifted Roland Velich and the Moric estate into the stratosphere of wine producers. The Reserve bottling is the estate's flagship wine, only topped by very limited old vine bottlings known as Alte Reben. Comparatively, the Moric Reserve is a cuvee of some old and middle-aged vines from the Lutzmannsburg plateau, every bit as fine and age-worthy as the old-vine bottlings, and showing sone extra freshness and liveliness that some of the not-quite-as-ancient vines at to the mix. A fine and velvety tannin structure is balanced by good acidity and minerality. Sour cherry and blackberry mingle with herbaceous notes, forest floor, and subtle salinity, truly satisfying and inviting Blaufrankisch, with a good and prolonged finish. Just delicious wine and likely one of the most balanced vintages of late.

93 Points! Absurdly concentrated for an entry-level wine. Deep blueberry and black-cherry fruit fills out the compact and structured medium-bodied palate. Generous fine tannins and notes of licorice and baking-spice aromas. Long, powdery and fresh finish. This is a unique solera-type blend of several vintages from 2022 to 2012. Blaufrankisch plus pinot noir, merlot and zweigelt. Drink or hold. - JamesSuckling.com

An old vine field blend of Bouvier, Frühroter Veltliner, Grauburgunder, Grüner Veltliner, Muskateller, Müller-Thurgau, Riesling, Scheurebe, Weißburgunder, Welschriesling, Zweigelt.

94+ Points! The 2020 Steiner Ried Grillenparz 1ÖTW Kremstal Riesling is pure, fresh and stony on the clear, precise, terroir-driven nose. Round and juicy on the elegant and refined palate, this Riesling has crystalline acidity and a long, intense, aromatic and salty-piquant finish. It is very young but digestible and with great talents to age terrifically well. Tasted in Grafenegg, September 2021. - Stephan Reinhardt, robertparker.com