Klaus and Mecki served a 2018 Sauvignon Blanc Beerenauslese (BA) from the Robert Goldenits winery in Burgenland with a lemon sorbet garnished with aged balsamic vinegar. The winery, which I previously knew more for its red wines, is located in the extreme southeast of the Neusiedlersee wine-growing region, in Tadten.
The climate there belongs to the Pannonian zone. Hot, dry summers followed by a long ripening period in the autumn, combined with high humidity and the resulting fog, encourage the development of noble rot in the grapes and thus the production of noble sweet premium wines. The Neusiedlersee also plays a part in this, with its autumnal lake fog and its temperature-balancing function as a heat reservoir.
Since 2012, the Neusiedlersee wine-growing region has had DAC status for the Zweigelt red wines that are characteristic of the region. Since 2020, the NEUSIEDLERSEE DAC status also applies to white, fruity sweet wines (late harvest, Auslesen) as well as white, noble sweet quality wines (Beerenauslesen, Trockenbeerenauslesen) from the Neusiedlersee wine-growing region. Late harvest and Auslesen are labelled as NEUSIEDLERSEE DAC, Beerenauslesen and Trockenbeerenauslesen as NEUSIEDLERSEE DAC RESERVE. The overripe or noble rotten grapes for a Beerenauslese, i.e. a white, noble sweet NEUSIEDLERSEE DAC RESERVE, must have at least 25 ° KMW (Klosterneuburger Mostwaage) when they are hand-picked, corresponding to ~ 125 Oechsle or 250 g /l sugar.
The Sauvignon Blanc grapes of the Beerenauslese tasted probably had almost 300 g/l of sugar, as the wine has a residual sweetness of 106 g/l in addition to 11% alcohol (from ~190 g/l of sugar), but this is balanced by an appealing acidity of 7.6 g/l. The grapes are grown on sandy black earth with gravel in the subsoil.
Sauvignon Blanc Beerenauslese 2018, Robert Goldenits (Tasted wines)
Golden yellow in the glass, botrytis, orange peel and herbs on the nose, delicately salty on the palate, with a beautiful interplay of sweetness and acidity, good complexity and aromas of ripe yellow and tropical fruits. The long finish, very piquant, carried by salty, herbal and botrytis-spicy notes. Elegant, excellent wine.