15 years later

Helles Orangerot mit Rubinreflexen. In der Nase nach Mandarinenzesten, Vanille und Gewürznelken klingen an, feine rotbeerige Nuancen, deutliche Zweigeltwürze. Am Gaumen feines Waldbeerkonfit, das Holz ist sehr gut integriert, elegante Textur, etwas Erdbee Kracher’s pale garnet 2006 #1 Zweigelt Trockenbeerenauslese Nouvelle Vague smells effusively of clove-studded orange, candied cherries, and cinnamon. Elegant and practically delicate (despite relatively high 11.5% alcohol), it retains lovely fresh orange and tactile pungency of cinnamon spice on the palate, finishing with sappy, lip-smacking tenacity. And as if the wine didn’t already call forth Christmas imagery, its carnal side is revealed in a suggestion of spiced mincemeat. I am sure that this will prove fascinating as well as delightful in its ability to sidle up to desserts over the next 3-5 years and not get blown away by them. 91/100 The Wine Advocate / David Schildknecht

Kräftiges Gelbgold. In der Nase intensive Holzwürze, zart rotbeerige Nuancen, reife Apfelfrucht, feine Nuancen von Trockenkräutern, Gewürznelken, etwas Kardamom. Am Gaumen nach Bratapfel elegant und ausgewogen, frische Struktur, frische Ananas. Medium golden-yellow. Refreshing orange, subtle smoke and oak spice nuances, a delicate touch of honey and pleasant tarragon on the nose. Quite complex in the mouth, with juicy peach, yellow apple, nutmeg and banana flavours highlighted by a refreshing acid structure. Tropical mango and papaya notes linger long on the finis of this multilayered wine. Offers excellent potential for further development in bottle.

Mittleres Goldgelb. In der Nase frische Zitruszesten, etwas Grapefruit, Lemongras, florale Nuancen, feine gelbe Frucht. Am Gaumen sehr frisch strukturiert, rassige Säurestruktur, die man auch von der Sorte erwarten kann, welche die 300 gr RZ problemlos ausgleicht. The 2006 #11 Scheurebe Trockenbeerenauslese Zwischen den Seen delivers a thickly concentrated yet razor sharp and refreshing essence of this grapes endearing virtues: high toned sage, bergamot and mint; pink grapefruit and oranges; peach preserves and glazed pineapple; honey and nut oils. With silken-smooth refinement, nearly levitating gracefulness, sorbet-like refreshment, and an infectious energy that carries you up into its finish, this is Scheu out on the dance floor, dressed in black tie, showing off without missing a beat. Given this wine’s sheer sweetness not to mention overall intensity, it will be capable of fascinating pairings with a diverse range of desserts. And it should dazzle for two decades or more. 96/100 The Wine Advocate / David Schildknecht

Mittleres Goldgelb. In der Nase zart rauchig, feine Kräuterwürze, Limettenabrieb, wirkt noch etwas rauchig und zart vegetal im Bukett, sehr unterentwickelt. Am Gaumen sehr stoffig, fast barock anmutend, viel Zucker zu spüren, noch unterentwickelt. Medium golden yellow. Delicate smoke, subtle lemon thyme and lime zest on the nose and in the mouth. This wine is incredibly thick and creamy, yet its vivacious acidity and intense citrus flavours keep it from cloying. This Rubenesque angel is extremely primary-almost unformed today-and really must be given time before a proper assessment can be made. 95/100 The Wine Advocate / David Schildknecht

Helles Gelbgold. In der Nase intensiv traubiges Bukett, feine Zitrusanklänge, Hollerblüten, etwas Hibiscus, etwas Lemongras. Am Gaumen spürt man, dass der Botrytisanteil im Verhältnis zu den gesunden Beeren klein war, sehr viel Frucht, wirkt leichtfüßig und verspielt, mit rund 170 gr Rz durchaus opulent, bleibt gut haften, ein frisches Säurespiel verleiht viel Lebendigkeit, sehr gutes Reifepotenzial. Glazed dried apricots and candied melon rind are reflected in the nose of Kracher‘s green-gold 2006 #2 Muskat Ottonel Trockenbeerenauslese Zwischen den Seen. This offers a lot of delicacy and sheer refreshment for all of its sweetness (and 170 grams of residual sugar); a subtly waxy texture; and a greenhouse-like inner-mouth amalgam of foliage and flowers. The buoyant finish is cooling in its suggestions of honeydew melon, apricot nectar and aromatic green herbs. I suspect this will be best enjoyed over the next 2-3 years, although – unlike Luis Kracher himself – it may well live to good-naturedly make a fool of me, as he delighted in conspiring with his wines to do. 91/100 The Wine Advocate / David Schildknecht

Da es sich hier um Tafelwein handelt, weil die Sorte in Österreich nicht zugelassen ist, zeigt die Etikette nur eine Rose, dazu die Nummer 3. Mittleres Lachsrosa, zarte Goldreflexe. In der Nase noch verhalten, feine Nuancen von Rosenöl und Eibisch, die mehr an einen Traminer erinnern, etwas Dörrfeigen. Am Gaumen elegant und finessenreich, feines zitroniges Säurespiel, sehr gut eingebundene Süße (220 gr Rz), wirkt noch sehr zurückhaltend, braucht noch seine Zeit auf der Flasche. Ein interessantes Novum, hier ist aber noch einiger Spielraum zur Verfeinerung gegeben. The Kracher #3 L2006 is the last wine Luis Kracher served me. It was the end of an evening with family and friends in mid-summer, to which I insisted that each vintner bring just one wine. He could hardly control his excitement about his first crop from the pink-berried Rosenmuskateller, a grape from the Sudtirol (Alto Adige) not even recognized by Austrian wine law (hence its labeling as “non vintage” Tafelwein). Tasting this deep salmon-colored wine blind, I did – and you may well – have a sense of deja vu. Imagine the orange rind, apricot, and pungent herbal concentration of Muscat allied to the brown spices and rose petal of Gewurztraminer, and you’ve got the nose. A sappy and vibrant fruit acid enlivens the palate, levitating and, to a striking extent canceling the effect of 200 grams of residual sugar. This finishes like an infusion of rose petals, black tea, orange rind, and cinnamon stick. It managed to acquit itself quite well against several deserts (200 grams of sugar efficacious after all) but is naturally suited for meditative sipping as well – for how long, no one can really say. 92/100 The Wine Advocate / David Schildknecht

Mittleres Gelbgold. In der Nase frische Navel-Orangen, zart rauchige Nuancen, feine Holzwürze, zarter Honigtouch, angenehme Kräuterwürze. Am Gaumen komplex, saftige gelbe Frucht, dezent nach Banane, frische Säurestruktur, feinwürzig, ein sehr vielschichtiger Jungwein, gut integriertem Zucker, delikate Tropenfruchtaromen nach vollreifen Mango und Papaya im Abgang, sehr gutes Entwicklungspotenzial. The 2006 #4 Chardonnay Trockenbeerenauslese Nouvelle Vague offers aromas and flavors of grilled pineapple, spiced apple, banana, and orange and vanilla cream. Yet for all of its gaudy side, and its honeyed botrytis and new wood patina, this also displays almost a Burgundian side of its grape, in its notes of toasted hazelnuts and wheat germ. Texturally, though, the impression here is more of juiciness and polish than of creaminess. In a remarkable display of self-sufficiency of which Chardonnay was memorably capable in Kracher’s hands, this multi-faceted elixir remains bright and refreshing, checking its sweetness before residual sugar can throw a blanket over a long finish that is spicy and invigorating. 93/100 The Wine Advocate / David Schildknecht

Helles Gelbgold. In der Nase feine Zitruszesten, zarte Kräutergewürze, Nuancen von Mandarinenschalen, wirkt noch etwas verhalten. Am Gaumen elegant, wirkt im Moment etwas unscheinbar, zarte Orangenanklänge, salzig-mineralische Note, sehr feiner Wein, der mit jedem Monat auf der Flasche noch zulegen wird, bleibt bereits gut haften, hier ist noch etwas Geduld nötig. The pale green-gold color of Kracher’s 2006 #5 Scheurebe Trockenbeerenauslese Zwischen den Seen is an omen. Seldom has Scheurebe displayed so refined and ethereal an aromatic concentration of herbs and flowers: catnip, thyme, chamomile and borage rather than the more usual sage and its coarsely pungent flower. Buoyant, sleek, and cucumber-cool on the palate, with lemon and white grapefruit balancing its honeyed sweetness, this finishes strikingly long on invigorating, mouth-cleansing refreshment. A joy to drink now on its own, it will be fascinating to follow – and perhaps cautiously apply at the table – over the next 5-6 years. 94/100 The Wine Advocate / David Schildknecht

Helles Goldgelb. In der Nase sehr feines Steinobstkonfit, einladende Kräuterwürze, zart nach Honig, wirkt noch etwas scheu. Am Gaumen komplex, perfekt eingebundenes Säure-Süßespiel, bereits harmonische Textur, vollreife Tropenfruchtaromen The green-gold-glinting 2006 #7 Welschriesling Trockenbeerenauslese Zwischen den Seen is another of Kracher’s testimonies to the potential of that ubiquitous and much unloved Central European grape variety. Scents of grilled pineapple, passion fruit, spruce resin, and browned sugar lead to a thickly-rich yet invigoratingly pungent and resinous palate, and the hugely-honeyed finish pulls up just short of becoming cloying. I would plan on revisiting this in several years. It will certainly be capable of holding up to a decade of cellaring, though whether any complexities gained will justify that, only time can tell us. Long-time readers know that I can be hard on Kracher’s Traminer TBAs because this naturally low-acid grape has trouble dealing with the huge levels of residual sugar they impose on it. 92/100 The Wine Advocate / David Schildknecht

Mittleres Gelb. In der Nase feine Nuancen von Orangenzesten, zarte florale Anklänge, angenehme Kräuterwürze, zarter Anklang vom neuen Holz, feiner Hauch von Karamell. Am Gaumen saftig, elegant, gut eingebundener Restzucker mit ca. 250g. The 2006 #8 Traminer Trockenbeerenauslese Nouvelle Vague has even a few grams more (at 246) than last year’s rendition. It also has half a percent (at 10%) more alcohol, which gives you an idea of how far gone these grapes were. But the alcohol and the new wood have exercised a real framing and restraining effect here. Not only are the lychees, honey, cinnamon candy allied to a firm palate foundation, there is also a surprisingly luscious refreshment to be gleaned from a finish that suggests not just honey and caramel but also pickled melon rind and melon liqueur. This wine should prove able to stand up to some pretty intense desserts, as well as to 7-10 years in the cellar. 91/100 The Wine Advocate / David Schildknecht

Mittleres Goldgelb. In der Nase reife Steinobstnoten, Marillenkonfitüre, zart nach Nüssen und Kräutern, ein sehr ideales Bild der Sorte, feine Honignote, sehr vielschichtig. Am Gaumen seidige, cremige Textur, bereits sehr gut in Balance, feines Säurespiel