Weingut Velich Apleton Seewinkel Beerenauslese, Burgenland, Austria

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Velich’s 2006 Beerenausalesen were not harvested until the fourth week of October, and were set to be bottled at the same time as his 2005 T.B.A.s, late summer of last year. The 2006 Beerenauslese Seewinkel represents a blend of Chardonnay with Bouvier and Muskateller. Peach and apricot preserves, almond paste, musk and hazelnut cream are threaded with subtly smoky, toasty, and pungent Tokaji-like inflections of botrytis. At 13.5% relatively high in alcohol compared with Burgenland Beerenauslesen at other addresses; imposing in its viscosity, glycerin-rich texture, and sense of density, yet with fine fresh fruit acidity to spare; this is not the least bit heavy. Bitter notes of apricot kernel and walnut inform a bitter-sweet finish in which the wine’s 150 grams of residual sugar emerge with amazing discretion. This should be fascinating to follow and versatile for at least a decade. Heinz Velich (whose brother and former partner is the force behind the wines of Moric, about which see elsewhere in this report) produces Austria’s most distinguished Chardonnay (from vines his father planted believing they were Pinot Blanc) as well as some of the country’s finest nobly sweet wines. His wines are marked among other things by long stays in barrel and low-sulfur, resulting in a style Velich considers but closer to tradition and (especially when it comes to nobly sweet elixirs) more interesting from a culinary standpoint than the more reductive approach favored by most of his fellow Neusiedlersee vintners.Importer: Winemonger, Los Angeles, CA; www.winemonger.com