There are times, when drinking a delicious wine, that I'll ask myself
what the hell is in this glass? And by that I don't mean trying to break down component aromas and flavors. The professional critics can tell you all that in ways that will make all the sense in the world and simultaneously none at all.
Mushrooms from a remote forest floor; beams of ripe lingonberry; subtle notes of cat pee. This word play can be fun, like trying to complete an insane crossword. Fun, and possibly a bit disconcerting. (Cat pee, really? Is this the plan to get people interested in drinking Sauvignon Blanc?).
With great wine there is a deeper feeling than a notebook full of descriptors can convey, almost a sense of mystery. Sure, the taste is fantastic, and I could tell you how this wine tastes, but why is this wine
so good.
Make no mistake, I am no mystic. I am not a true believer. There are always answers. Or put slightly differently,
understandings. Arriving at these moments can be so elusive, I seem to get there so rarely. Then again, this is part of the reason why I come back again and again, trying new bottles, new producers, new vineyards, new vintages. There are the tangible aspects of wine which remain consistent and yet somehow change at the same time - flavors, aromas, textures. And then there is also that thing, at least with special wines, that thing which seems to be lurking just beyond articulation. A certain
something. People who spend their lives chasing the great wines of Burgundy certainly know about this phenomenon, and I find it in many others as well.
Tonight I am thinking about the great dry Rieslings of Austria. Including, but not limited to the following three wineries.
http://www.nikolaihof.at/en
http://www.bruendlmayer.com/com/
http://www.weingutnigl.at/index.asp?lang=en
I'm trying to find one word to hang my hat on here - one word to transmit the essence of these wines. It's difficult, as they are certainly multifaceted, as are all beautiful wines. But if I had to choose, the word would be
clarity. This may apply to the way I feel about many of the white wines of Austria, but with Riesling in particular there is a clean line that I can only describe as pure clarity. These wines shows you everything and hide nothing.
There are certain wines that cut straight to the point. They come at you without hesitation, hints or suggestions. Like a woman who is as smart as she is beautiful. There are no lies because there is no time or space for it. As if the wine is saying
we are here now and this is exactly where we are. Find the wine and you find yourself. The only demand made is that you be receptive. If you try too hard to "get it" the message will slip through your fingers and be lost in the confusion that is everything you think you know.
And all of that may sound like a load of mystical bullshit. But it isn't. It is straight up Terra Firma. I swear. Take your shoes off and dig your toes in a little.
Cheers!
~ vs
