we've got the best possible weather for picking our Chardonnay grapes, here in the highest-elevation vineyard on the Leithebirge, the Gloria.
Friday, September 28, 2012
Friday, September 21, 2012
the Birds and the Beasts...
there will be less Tatschler Chardonnay this year: the wild pigs have devoured 20% of the grapes. Up in Ried Gloria they've thus far —thankfully — still been hunting for grubs.
— but the birds of the forest like the flavour of grapes as well, and have been helping themselves...
Tuesday, September 18, 2012
A curious jumble in the cellar-what's going on here?
The two tanks in the middle between the barrels—we call them 'companion tanks'
If you didn't see the corresponding installment of 'What's new?,' here's the explanation:
If a horse spent too much time by itself in the stall, it would quite often develop behavioural problems. But if you were to put another creature in the stall with it—even if it were a goat—these temperamental difficulties did not occur. So the expression arose, 'companion goat.'
Our barrels are filled with must before the onset of fermentation. During fermentation, carbon dioxide is produced, and this would cause the barrels to overflow—for this reason we put a couple little tanks next to them, into which we divert a portion of the must during the most violent phase of the fermentation. Afterwards the must can very gently—that means with least motion and distance involved—be replaced in the barrels. So that's why we call them companion tanks.
Saturday, September 15, 2012
Falstaff Pinot-Family Trophy 2012
Things do indeed happen fast. A new generation of winegrowers — Hannes Reeh, Michael Kirchknopf and Rudi Wagentristl — took the prizes in the categories ‘Chardonnay Classic,’ ‘Weissburgunder,’ and ‘Leithaberg.’ At 43 years of age, one is already an ‘old master’ — and comes in ahead by a nose in the categories ‘Chardonnay Vins de Garde’ and ‘Reserve’ with Tatschler ’10 and Gloria ’07.
Tuesday, September 11, 2012
Picking the Sauvignon Blanc "Methusalemreben"
Today we harvested the Methusalemreben - the ancient Sauvignon Blanc vines in the Ried Steinmühle - terrific ripeness, perfectly healthy grapes.
2012 promises to be fabulous!
A walking-tour through the historical vineyards of the Leithagebirge
We had perfect weather for this: Anton and Andi Kollwentz led a group of passionate enthusiasts in exploring the vineyards Haussatz, Neusatz, Point, Setz, Tatschler, Dürr and Gloria.
...and of course it wouldn't have been complete without a bit of a bite to eat at the end—accompanied, naturally, by wines from the vineyard sites we had visited.
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