Weingut Knoll

Any discussion of the Wachau is bound to eventually come around to the Knoll family, and their three generations of winemaking tradition. Under the direction of Emmerich III, this Wachau treasure continues to produce some of the region’s most powerful and long-lived wines. With most of the winery’s 15 hectares devoted to the area’s signature Grüner Veltliner and Riesling varieties, it’s no surprise that Knoll turns out stellar examples of Austria’s traditional dry, terroir-driven, mineralic wines every year. But there is another, sweeter side to the Wachau that is only in evidence once or twice in a decade. The unique climactic conditions seen in Austria in 2015 afforded Emmerich the opportunity to focus his considerable talent on the vinification of a full range of late-harvest dessert wines.

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Prädikatswein: An Austrian Tradition

The production of sweet, dessert-style wines, formally referred to as Prädikatswein, has a storied past in Austria, dating back to the 16th century when, according to contemporary accounts, the village of Donnerskirchen produced a sweet wine from shriveled, botrytised grapes in 1526. It was discovered later that the high concentration of sugar in overripe grapes was responsible for the high levels of  residual sugar left over after fermentation, which gives these wines their characteristic sweetness. Botrytis, also known as “noble rot,” further concentrates these sugars by drawing moisture out of the grapes as they ripen, as well as adding apricot and honey flavors to the wine.

These days, the production of such wines is strictly regulated by the Austrian Wine Law, which proscribes rigid categories for Prädikatswein based on ripeness, berry selection, must weight, and the presence of botrytis, as well as prohibiting chaptalisation or the addition of grape must to increase sweetness.

While the classification of Prädikatswein encompasses a few different styles and production methods, there are three main categories: Auslese (ow-SHLAY-say), Beerenauslese, and Trockenbeerenauslese, and each designation carries a specific set of requirements. For an Auslese designation, the grapes must be hand selected to exclude unripe or rotten fruit, and the must weight, a measure of initial sugar content in the juice, has to be at least 21 ºKMW as measured on the Klosterneuberg must weight scale, the industry standard in Austria.  A Beerenauslese wine must be made from a combination of overripe and botrytised grapes having a minimum must weight of 25 ºKMW. Trockenbeerenauslese, the highest quality designation, is produced almost exclusively from shriveled noble rot grapes with a minimum must weight of 30 ºKMW. The “Trocken,” literally “dry,” refers to the desiccated state of the grapes due to noble rot, and not to the character of the finished wine, which is notably sweet.

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2015: A Sweet Year in the Wachau

2015 was, by all accounts, a banner year for Austrian winemaking. Following a particularly challenging 2014, vintners were understandably nervous about the prospects of the 2015 growing season. Indeed, early hail and brutally hot temperatures over the summer presented serious challenges, but when the rain finally came in August, tempering the heat into a long, mild autumn, vintners were rewarded with a rare “relaxed harvest,” allowing them the opportunity to monitor ripeness and selectively harvest the fruit at its peak.

Some winemakers enjoy a well-tempered climate every year, allowing them to consistently produce Prädikatswein in nearly every vintage. Kracher, in the eastern part of the Burgenland, and Chateau d’Yqem in Bordeaux, are both celebrated for their consistent output of high-quality dessert wines every year, and their warm climates are largely responsible. In the Wachau, however, the ability to harvest late is predicated solely on the whims of Mother Nature, and in 2015 she blessed the valley with a perfect year for Prädikatswein.

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St. Urban’s  Riesling  Trinity

2015 Riesling “Pfaffenberg” Auslese

production: 170 cases
varietal breakdown: 100% Riesling
vineyard: single vineyard “Pfaffenberg;” gneiss based primary rock,  löss topsoil; vine age: 10 to 50 years; elevation: 280-350m
vinification: yeast: cultured and natural; fermentation: 10 – 20 days, 22-25 degrees C
analysis: alcohol 12.3%; acidity 7.2 g/L; sugar 73 g/L

2015 Riesling Beerenauslese

production: 200 cases
varietal breakdown: 100% Riesling
vineyard: gneiss based primary rock, löss topsoil; vine age: 10 to 50 years; elevation: 220-240m
vinification: yeast: cultured and natural; fermentation: 10 – 20 days, 22-25 degrees C
analysis: alcohol 12.8%; acidity 8.4 g/L; sugar 106.6 g/L

2015 Riesling Trockenbeerenauslese

production: 35 cases
varietal breakdown: 100% Riesling
vineyard: gneiss based primary rock, löss topsoil; vine age: 10 to 50 years; elevation: 220-240m
vinification: yeast: cultured and natural; fermentation: 10 – 20 days, 22-25 degrees C
analysis: alcohol 11.2%; acidity 8.7 g/l; sugar 198.7 g/l