Terrific freshness in this blend of Grüner Veltliner and Weissburgunder (AKA Pinot Blanc) – a beguiling hint of onion skin on the nose gives way to a creamy and slightly vegetal palate, and a mineral finish. This wine spent a few days on the skins, giving it just a bit more structure and body than you might expect.
2011 Gut Oggau Winifred, Burgenland
( POA, 12%, Dynamic Wines )Made from a field blend of Bläufrankisch and Zweigelt, and with a wonderful burnished rose hue. There’s an exotic aroma of wild strawberries, and attractive herbaceous character to the lightweight fruit. Just when you think this might be another simplistic summer rosé, it builds to a more complex savoury finish.
2010 Gut Oggau Atanasius, Burgenland
( POA, 12%, Dynamic Wines )Although this is effectively Gut Oggau’s entry level red, there’s quite a serious intent to the dark leathery fruit aromas. The fruit is lively, with blackberries dominating the flavour. Elegant tannins lend gravitas to what is a fairly light style. Sandy/gravel soil.
2011 Gut Oggau Timotheus, Burgenland
( POA, 13%, Dynamic Wines )Just like the caricature on the label, this is a big broad wine. White peaches, apricot and kiwi flavours are all brilliantly knitted together with a moreish creamy, nutty texture. Some skin contact and maturation in large, old oak barrels has provided body and structure.
It’s different enough to make you sit up and notice, without being remotely scary or “difficult”. Limestone soil.
2010 Gut Oggau Joshuari, Burgenland
( POA, 13%, Dynamic Wines )Joshuari shows the slightly nervy side of Blaufränkisch, with rather tight but elegant berry fruit. Like all of Gut Oggau’s wines, it tastes terrifically fresh, with fruit pips and minerality on the finish.
2009 Gut Oggau Mechtild, Burgenland
( POA, 13%, Dynamic Wines )Mechtild is one of two single vineyard wines made at Gut Oggau, in this case 60 year old Grüner Veltliner. There’s a salty, iodine tang on the nose, yielding to a fat, creamy palate. Fresh acidity and a lovely mineral finish.
2009 Gut Oggau Bertholdi, Burgenland
( POA, 13.3%, Dynamic Wines )For me this is the crowning glory of the Gut Oggau range. Single vineyard Blaufränkisch is left on its stems and stalks for 6 weeks, resulting in a structured, complex, yet impressively balanced wine. “Hot”, rubber-tyre character to the nose, very focused ripe yet elegant red fruit. The finish lasts and lasts, staying fresh and slightly saline to the very end.
2011 Gut Oggau Emmeran, Burgenland
( POA, 13.5%, Dynamic Wines )This is the only wine in the Gut Oggau range which defines itself by a single grape variety. There’s no mistaking the Gewurztraminer on the nose: delicate rose petal and intense lychee aromas dominate. The limestone soil has given this a satisfying “wet stone” finish. It’s bone dry, with just enough acidity to keep things fresh.
2011 Reuilly, Les Coignons, Denis Jamain, Loire Valley
( £14.25, 12.5%, Berry Bros & Rudd )A Reuilly that tastes as good as a lot of much more expensive Sancerres and, crucially for a 2011, doesn’t suffer from the earthy, grey rot-like notes that damaged the Loire in that vintage. Subtle, flinty, yet ripe, with good almost Graves-like concentration and notes of goosberry and minerals. Try ageing it for a year or two, as you would a Pessac-Léognan. It might surprise you.
2011 Tercius Alvarinho, Vinho Verde
( £9.99, 12.5%, Marks & Spencer )Alvarinho is exactly the same grape as Albariño – it’s just grown on the other side of the Minho River in Portugal, as opposed to Spain. In fact, it’s one of the key grapes in Vinho Verde, althoiugh it’s often blended with other grapes. This is typically floral and fresh, but with more weight than many Vinhos Verdes, with notes of lime and pear and a chalky, palate-cleansing minerality.
2011 Vega de la Reina Sauvignon Blanc, Rueda
( £6.49, 13%, Majestic )International varieties are overshadowed in Spain by local grapes, but Sauvignon seems to have found an ideal spot in Rueda, producing wines that are delicious as well as distinctive. This is a total bargain if you buy two bottles, and I promise you wont’t regret having a spare in the fridge. It’s got flavours of pink grapefruit and passion fruit, a hint of gunflint on the nose and, pithy, refreshing acidity. Not many places could better this at £6.49 for a tasty Sauvignon Blanc.
2011 Herdade do Esporão, Verdelho, Vinho Regional Alentejano
( £8.95, 13.5%, The Wine Society )White wines from the baking plains of southern Portugal are often rather flabby and dull, but this perky number from one of the region’s best producers is anything but, showing tangy acidity, bright, citrus peel flavours and a minerality that wouldn’t look out of place in Chablis. Bring on the seafood.