The Grade: AMAZING. The Mojo: I am always intrigued by anything imported by Terry Thiese, yet I’ve shied away from his Austrian wines simply because they (Austrian wines) are a tough sell. Well, this time I bit the bullet and ordered the Heidi Schrock Muscat 2007 ($25.98), which really isn’t a Muscat at all, but a proprietary blend of 40% Gelber Muskateller, 40% Sauvignon Blanc and 20% Ottonel. The nose on this wine is really cool, with a spicy papaya/pineapple/lime quality matched up with honeysuckle and orange blossom. There are notes of wet stone and Chinese Five Spice in there as well, and I haven’t even tasted the stuff yet! On the palate, there are almost-creamy tones of citrus, pickled ginger, white peach, apricot and orange zest, and even a saltiness that is pretty crazy. This is a very complex, very intricate wine from start-to-finish. And I’d even venture to pair it with Thanksgiving. All I can say is “Wow!”
Monday, November 24, 2008
HEIDI SCHROCK MUSCAT 2007
The Grade: AMAZING. The Mojo: I am always intrigued by anything imported by Terry Thiese, yet I’ve shied away from his Austrian wines simply because they (Austrian wines) are a tough sell. Well, this time I bit the bullet and ordered the Heidi Schrock Muscat 2007 ($25.98), which really isn’t a Muscat at all, but a proprietary blend of 40% Gelber Muskateller, 40% Sauvignon Blanc and 20% Ottonel. The nose on this wine is really cool, with a spicy papaya/pineapple/lime quality matched up with honeysuckle and orange blossom. There are notes of wet stone and Chinese Five Spice in there as well, and I haven’t even tasted the stuff yet! On the palate, there are almost-creamy tones of citrus, pickled ginger, white peach, apricot and orange zest, and even a saltiness that is pretty crazy. This is a very complex, very intricate wine from start-to-finish. And I’d even venture to pair it with Thanksgiving. All I can say is “Wow!”
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2 comments:
Heidi Schröck's wines are excellent across the board, Kevin. The Muscat is a perennial favorite but she also does good work with Weissburgunder and Grauerburgunder. Keep an eye out for her Zweigelt as well. Good stuff, and worth the effort on the sales floor.
I've always liked Heidi Schröck's wines, and just tried this one recently. A lovely wine. What I don't get, though, is how it can legally be labeled Muscat. Generously counting the Muscat Ottonel, it's only 60% Muscat. According to US law, it's gotta be 75% to be varietally labeled (and according to EU law, 85%). Weird. Does anyone know how they managed that?
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