Bründlmayer Spiegel 2002
Posted on 3 April 2009
As promised in an earlier post I brought a mixed case of Austrian wines from the cellar to sample through in the coming weeks. This particular wine is an old acquaintance – Bründlmayer was one of the first quality estates from Austria I was introduced to, and I remember going crazy about the 2000 Langenloiser Spiegel upon release (it remains one of the very best matches with cabbage in my memory).
The 75 hectares (organically grown) of the Bründlmayer estate in the region of Kamptal are located on some of the most coveted locations of all Austria. Among them is Spiegel, a dramatic sun-exposed hill with very warm microclimate (hence the name, ‘Mirror’, presumably) allowing for high ripeness. In recent years, with global warming making a difference, this vineyard has perhaps become a little too hot for Grüner Veltliner (
this one, for example). But Bründlmayer has dedicated Spiegel to Grauburgunder and Weissburgunder (Pinot Gris and Pinot Blanc), both late-ripening, with the latter providing crucial acidity to the blend. This aspect, together with a good minerality from the limestone & loess soil, also ensures a long aging potential to this bottling.Here’s evidence of that with the Langenloiser Spiegel 2002, cellared by yours truly since release in 2004. At first this is tasting a little banal and one-dimensional but shows very good evolution in the glass. Nose is mildly maturing and elegantly oaky (high-grade butter and cream; in fact there is only partial aging in Austrian casks). I think Weissburgunder is having the upper hand in the blend at this stage, offering crispness, mineral transparency, and a lighter aromatic register (citrus). But the key to success has surely been the low alcohol (12.5% only): the wine has remained refreshing and alive instead of tiresome and sticky.
It is interesting to note that back in 2002, this wine was a roughly 55–45% blend of Pinot Gris and Blanc; now with some new parcels coming into production, Pinot Blanc has been reduced to a mere 10%. I am a big fan of Pinot Blanc and usually find its refreshing, flowery, crisp profile a beneficial addition to Pinot Gris, but tasting Bründlmayer’s Spiegel 2005 and 2006 recently I must say it is still a remarkably fresh and balanced wine. Highly recommended – not only with cabbage.