Velich’s 2007 Chardonnay Darscho – vinified barrels of varying sizes – offers rich pit and citrus fruits tinged with oak spice and honey and underlain by faintly bitter toasted nuts and grain. Creamy in texture, Velich brought this out of barrel (into tank) as well as into bottle relatively early so as to capture freshness. This should give great pleasure for several years. 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

The 2006 Chardonnay Darscho displays a flattering creaminess of texture; lemon, white peach, and herb flavors; and a combination of clarity, lift, and refinement that one seeks in vain from most of the world’s Chardonnays, regardless of origin. A few years in bottle will typically do this no harm: on the contrary, they may help make up for which is admittedly a slight lack in youthful complexity. 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

The 2004 Chardonnay Darscho, vinified in smaller and larger barrels, offers a waxy, Semillon-like palate impression, herb, pepper, and spice inflections and a long, succulent, refined and nuanced finish. It will be bottled without filtration. Importer pending.

Dominated by charred wood, with aromas of burnt marshmallow taking the lead. Has a decent texture and flavors of lemon and butter along with a short finish. Imported by Winemonger.com. ——J.C.(11/15/2005)—— 82

Decent enough Chardonnay, but vaguely anonymous, with plump apple and pear fruit covered by smoky, leesy notes, toasted marshmallow and charred oak. ——J.C.(12/15/2004)—— 85