Out of twelve different (late October and early November) pickings and lots, ten were selected to become the 2006 Gruner Veltliner Wachtberg. At 14.4% alcohol, and given its relatively massive and borderline over-ripe character, it is, as Miesbauer admits, “on the cusp.” Soft pear, pineapple, nut oils are the principle themes here, with low-toned suggestions of tobacco and malt. The finish is powerful but slightly drying, a legacy I suspect of fruit dessication and high alcohol. This was given some skin contact, fermented spontaneously, and spent time in cask, but I would not necessarily hold the results against Miesbauer for having pursued those approaches. The ripest pickings – “from blue grapes,” as Miesbauer put it – were vinified in large ovals and made for an interesting, low-toned, and imposingly rich but slightly warm and bitter reserve bottling. Fritz Miesbauer waited patiently and harvested well into November to achieve ripeness. The results were mixed, but the successes more than uphold this estate’s growing reputation for good value. Miesbauer is now also responsible for the wines of the Gottweig monastery whose vinification and packaging have undergone a major overhaul. The early results are promising, if not yet comparable to those at Stadt KremsImporter: Vin Divino, Chicago, IL; tel. (773) 334-6700 These wines are also imported by Vin Divino