Weingut Hirsch Gaisberg Riesling, Kamptal, Austria

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Crisp, with an intriguing cinnamon spice aroma and lively savory mineral and eucalyptus notes. Quince flavors lead to a juicy, refreshing finish that features a bit of a grip. Drink now through 2025. 78 cases imported.??–AZ??Region: Austria / Nieder?sterreich / Kamptal Select to Add

Blond tobacco and pungent herbs in the nose of Hirsch’s 2010 Riesling Gaisberg – which, as usual, was still in cask when I tasted it – could come from a Gruner Veltliner, but there is an intensity of grapefruit, white peach, and lime that could only come from Riesling, not to mention a vibrantly interactive complexity of mineral nuances that could only come from a great Urgestein site. Citrus zest, peach fuzz, and peach kernel add to the invigoration of a memorably long finish. This should be worth following for at least a dozen years. Johannes Hirsch claims not to have de-acidified even his least expensive 2010. “If you just waited to harvest and then waited to bottle,” he insists, “nature took care of things,” not only through precipitation of tartrates but “because these wines just have so much sheer extract,” something I certainly thought palpable while tasting this terrific collection. “The motto for this vintage should be ‘Let it all hang out!’,” Hirsch says with a grin by way of summary.Importer: Terry Theise Estate Selections, imported by Michael Skurnik Wines, Inc., Syosset, NY; tel. (516) 677-9300

The Hirsch 2007 Riesling Gaisberg features peach, persimmon, and brown spices, supported by well-integrated residual sugar (slightly higher than that of the Heiligenstein). Glossy richness of texture and a palpable sense of sheer density are augmented by tingling, bright and savory, saline mineral notes, ginger, and certain deep notes that suggest malt and a Gruner Veltliner-like concentration of root vegetables. The contrast with the cool, floral character and elegant poise of the Heiligenstein is quite dramatic, although here, too, there is a lot of sheer mystery that will leave you shaking your head, but certainly not in regret that you purchased the wine! These single-vineyard Hirsch wines fearlessly show the way toward what Austrian even less than German vintners would want to call “halbtrocken,” but is in fact a beautiful balance for a Riesling of healthy acidity and strong minerality, a balance which will probably help to insure that they can cellar superbly for a dozen or more years.Johannes Hirsch was already done harvesting in 2007 on October 8 (after starting September 13), not far behind the Nikolaihof. And there is another connection with that venerable estate which may or may not be vital: Hirsch has been passionately pursuing a biodynamic path. I did manage to get a smile out of him when I suggested that he consider replacing the pile of cow horns he had accumulated with much rarer and surely more efficacious antlers of elk (Hirsch). “The clusters were beautifully golden-yellow, perfect,” he relates, so there was no need to wait, which meant missing out on the mid-October rains.Importer: Terry Theise Estate Selections, imported by Michael Skurnik Wines, Inc., Syosset, NY; tel. (516) 677-9300