Spätlese is a wine made from late-harvested grapes defined by the sugar content of the grapes at the time of harvest and can be either dry or sweet (fruit-sweet). Depending on the grape variety and growing region, the minimum must weights for this category range from 76° to 95° Oechsle in Germany. In Austria, the minimum must weight is 19° KMW (*Klosterneuburger Mostwaage*), which corresponds to slightly more than 94° Oechsle. In Austria, *Spätlese* wines are predominantly vinified as dry wines—meaning a residual sugar level of less than 4 g/l.
Although machine harvesting is technically permitted for sweet *Spätlese* wines, the harvest is often carried out selectively by hand. Enriching the must with sugar before or during fermentation—a process known as chaptalization—is strictly prohibited; the sweetness must derive entirely from the grapes’ natural fruit sugars. For sweet Spätlese, fermentation is halted early, leaving some unfermented fruit sugar—residual sugar—in the wine. This interruption is usually achieved by cooling the wine or filtering out the fermentation yeasts.
We tasted the 2023 vintage of the Kracher winery’s sweet Spätlese Cuvée, a blend of Chardonnay, Pinot Blanc, and Welschriesling—with the proportions varying from vintage to vintage. The wine is bottled after spending 5 to 6 months in stainless steel tanks.
Cuvée Spätlese 2023, Kracher (Tasted Wines)
Straw-yellow with greenish highlights. Yellow fruits, herbs, and a touch of pineapple, accompanied by citrus notes interwoven with a hint of honey. Fresh and juicy, with very restrained sweetness and long-lasting notes of citrus and delicate herbs. A very good, highly drinkable wine offering excellent value for money.