Day 4 cont’d
From Weingut Knoll we drove for the first time to the other side of the city of Krems: Kamptal!
In my books Wachau is definitely The wine region for Riesling. However, for Grüner Veltliner, it’s a more mixed result; sometimes the wine can be both impressive and balanced, but often they tend to be on the slightly too ripe side of things.
Kamptal, on the other hand, is The Grüner Veltliner wine region for me. As Grüner Veltliner is the most iconic grape variety of Austria, Kamptal is probably the most iconic Austrian wine region in my books. As it is mostly quite flat, it doesn’t have the dramatic, steep-cliffside looks of Wachau or Styria, but it makes all up with the quality of Grüner Veltliner.
Actually, you might think that as the region is relatively flat with mildly undulating hills and only a few taller, more impressive hillsides, and even the river Kamp is more like a glorified stream than a proper river, at least compared to the massive Danube it flows into, it should produce soft and flabby wines. However, the key element still is that river Kamp, that flows from the much cooler lands north from Kamptal, which dramatically cools the vineyards in the vicinity of the Kamp river, making the region much cooler than you’d expect. The terroir in Kamptal is especially good for Grüner Veltliner, but even if the region might not be as perfect fit for Riesling as Wachau, they still do make some pretty superb Rieslings in Kamptal as well.
Anyway, from Weingut Knoll in Loiben, Wachau, we drove to Weingut Eichinger in Kamptal. Most of the Kamptal producers are located in the town of Langenlois or its immediate vicinity, but Eichinger was located in Straß im Straßertal, a hamlet a bit further east from Langenlois.
Weingut Eichinger was the second winery with whom we took a flyer (Roland Chan in Wachau was the first one). Not a single person in our group had taste a single Eichinger wine before, but after reading some positive comments on the wines (including one of @Jamie_Goode’s tasting reports on Austrian wines), I decided we should probably check these out and sent them a message. Gloria Eichinger responded that we are welcome, but should be there by 4 p.m., because they were bottling on that week, so she needed to get back to the facilities for the evening.
So here we are, at the winery, just a few minutes shy of 4 p.m.
After a short while, Gloria Eichinger welcomed us in for a quick tasting of their most recent vintages.
Weingut Eichinger
- The winery was founded in 1992 by Birgit Eichinger (née Allram). Originally she was planning to take over her parents’ wine estate, Weingut Allram, but things changed when her sister married a winemaker. Instead, she was given 3,5 hectares of vineyards and a piece of land near Straß.
- Birgit Eichinger made her first few vintages with the help of her parents’ winemaking facilities while building her own winery at the same time. The wines have been made at Eichinger’s own winery since 1995.
- The winery has grown from the 3,5 hectares (9 acres) to approximately 16,5 hectares (42 acres) today, encompassing also some of the finest Kamptaler vineyards in Rieden like Heiligenstein, Lamm and Gaisberg. Most of the production is Grüner Veltliner (70%), but there is a good amount of Riesling (20%) as well. Eichinger has always been championing Roter Veltliner, a rather rarely-seen local specialty, which they have a little along with a small amount of Chardonnay (both approximately 5%).
- The vineyards are farmed sustainably and the wines are made conventionally, ie. sulfites are employed whenever needed and while the fermentations can begin spontaneously, they are often finished with inoculated yeasts.
- The Grüner Veltliners can see some old oak fuders and the small amount of Chardonnay is aged in smaller oak barrels, but otherwise all the wines are fermented and aged in stainless steel tanks.
- The Eichingers consider themselves as specialists of white grapes, which is why 100% of their production is white - they make classic white wines, exclusively. No red wines, no rosés, no funky skin contact experiments.
- Birgit Eichinger was joined by her daughter Gloria Eichinger (b. 1997) in 2016, after she had completed her enological studies in Krems. Today the winery is run jointly by the two Eichingers, as an equal 2-person team of mother and daughter.
- Today the winery is also a member of the ÖTW (Traditional Austrian Wine Estates). About 50% of the production is sold in Austria and another 50% is exported.
While Gloria was having us taste their wines (she couldn’t join us as she was expecting her first child with her boyfriend Martin Nigl of Weingut Nigl - who we visited earlier that day!), she explained the philosophies and methods how they make their wines.
First of all - and this Gloria emphasized multiple times - the winery is truly run jointly by Gloria and her mother. They both make the decisions, but Gloria also said that it is very easy for them, as they both share the same taste and the same vision. The basically never need to fight over how things should be run or how the wines should be made, as they both agree on them pretty much always.
Gloria explained that they always want to leave a tiny bit of residual sugar in the wines - not really to make them any sweeter, but to boost the fruit and add some richness and body to the wines (I myself don’t think this is necessary today, as the wines show plenty of fruit and ripeness to begin with, but I do agree that the wines don’t feel off-dry or soft despite the RS).
Gloria also explained that they are exclusively a white wine-producing estate and they want to stay that way - the whole winery is set up for white wines only, and having red grapes would need different kind of equipment and expertise that they don’t have. Their philosophy is concentrating on their strengths. That’s why they also don’t have a massively huge range of different labels, but only about a dozen - that’s more than enough for them to showcase their different varieties and also their prime single-vineyard expressions of Grüner Veltliner and Riesling.
We were also told that Roter Veltliner still remains quite important to them, even if the variety can be somewhat finicky and rather susceptible to diseases compared to the other grape varieties. Today they make only one single-vineyard bottling of Roter Veltliner, but since ÖTW disallows the use of the vineyard name with this particular variety, they have had to change the name to Glorreich - “glorious” - after Gloria herself.
- 2025 Birgit Eichinger Grüner Veltliner Strass - Austria, Niederösterreich, Kamptal (15.4.2026)
100% Grüner Veltliner harvested in mid-September from vineyards around Strass. Fermented and aged on the lees in stainless steel tanks for four months. Bottled in late February 2026. 12,5% alcohol, 1,7 g/l residual sugar and 6 g/l acidity.
Pale greenish color. The nose feels fresh, youthful and somewhat sweet with aromas of minty herbal notes, some primary notes of pear drops, a little bit of ripe greengage, light appley notes and a hint of banana. The wine feels fruity, linear and youthful on the palate with a medium body and vibrant flavors of ripe pear, some banana, light primary notes of grapey fruit, light saline mineral tones and a hint of greengage. The high acidity lends good sense of freshness and structure to the wine. The finish is fresh, dry and quite long with a bright aftertaste of steely minerality, some ripe pear notes, a little bit of appley fruit, light banana tones, a hint of crunchy star fruit and a touch of salinity.
A tasty, nice and fresh little Grüner Veltliner that is surprisingly serious effort for an entry-level white. The overall feel is still a bit too primary and candied for my preference, but the wine still manages to show good sense of harmony and promise for future development. Maybe another year or two in a cellar might make the wine lose those sweet primary aromas? For what it's worth, this a delightful effort for an everyday white and excellent value at just 9,50€.
(90 points)
- 2025 Birgit Eichinger Grüner Veltliner Ried Hasel - Austria, Niederösterreich, Kamptal (15.4.2026)
100% Grüner Veltliner harvested on 21st of September from Ried Hasel. Macerated briefly with the skins before being fermented and aged on the lees in stainless steel tanks for 4-5 months. Bottled in March 2026. 12,5% alcohol, 2,9 g/l residual sugar and 5,9 g/l acidity.
Pale yellow-green color. The nose feels youthful and moderately ripe with vibrant aromas of juicy pear, some leesy creaminess, light banana or plantain tones, a little bit of star fruit and a hint of steely minerality. The wine feels crisp, focused and lively on the palate with a medium body and crunchy flavors of steely minerality, some fresh pear, a little bit of ripe Granny Smith apple, light saline tones, a hint of peppery spice and a touch of plantain. The high acidity lends a great sense of freshness and structure to the wine. The finish is crisp, fresh and lively with a dry aftertaste of crunchy Granny Smith apple, some ripe pear, light saline mineral tones, a little bit of banana, a hint of peppery spice and a touch of star fruit.
A wonderfully fresh, vibrant and precise Grüner Veltliner. Not quite on par with the better single-vineyard Grüner Veltliners of Eichinger, this felt more similar to the entry-level village wine Strass - only a bit better. Nevertheless, a tasty and pretty serious effort that really punches above its weight when you take its price into account. All in all, good and thoroughly enjoyable stuff that could use a few more years; the wine is still a bit primary and I can see the wine benefiting from and improving with additional aging. Terrific value at 10,50€.
(91 points)
- 2025 Birgit Eichinger Grüner Veltliner Ried Wechselberg - Austria, Niederösterreich, Kamptal (15.4.2026)
100% Grüner Veltliner harvested on 26th of September from Ried Wechselberg. Macerated with the skins for 5 hours before being fermented and aged on the lees in stainless steel tanks for 4-5 months. Bottled in March 2026. 12,5% alcohol, 2,1 g/l residual sugar and 5,5 g/l acidity.
Pale lime-green color. The nose feels youthful and rather fruit-forward with aromas of ripe pear, some cantaloupe, a little bit of plantain, light sweeter notes of honeydew melon, a fragrant hint of floral character and a touch of peppery spice. The wine feels fresh, youthful and rather fruit-forward on the palate with a medium body and vibrant flavors of salinity, some salty liquorice, a little bit of fresh pear, light stony mineral notes, a hint of honeydew melon and a touch of nashi pear. The rather high acidity feels high enough to keep the wine nicely in balance, lending it good structural feel. The finish is juicy, long and moderately acid-driven with a youthful aftertaste of stony minerality, some fresh pear tones, a little bit of salty liquorice, light peppery nuances, a hint of herby spice and a touch of sweet honeydew melon.
A youthful, vibrant and fruit-forward Grüner Veltliner with good sense of balance and vibrancy of fruit. Quality-wise this wine seemed very similar to the 2025 Ried Hasel GV, but as a slightly different expression of the variety; I felt Hasel showed a bit more freshness, precision and acidity, whereas this Wechselberg came across as a bit more concentrated, showing a bit more breadth over freshness and acidity. Although the fruit profile was quite similar in both the wines, I felt this Wechselberg showed a bit more ripeness compared to the slightly crunchier style of Hasel. It would be hard for me to put one wine over another, as they seemed more or less as good, only slightly different from each other. At 16,50€, this was priced according to its quality.
(91 points)
- 2024 Birgit Eichinger Grüner Veltliner Ried Grub - Austria, Niederösterreich, Kamptal (15.4.2026)
100% Grüner Veltliner harvested on 20th of October from Ried Grub. Macerated briefly with the skins before being fermented and aged on the lees in 12-yo 1000-liter oak fuders. Bottled in August 2025. 13% alcohol, 4,1 g/l residual sugar and 5,4 g/l acidity.
Medium-deep yellow-green color. The nose feels youthful, fragrant and a bit waxy with aromas of fresh peach, some ripe pear, light honeydew melon tones, a little bit of leesy creaminess, a hint of spice and a primary touch of sweet grapey fruit. The wine feels broad, nuanced and moderately ripe on the palate with a medium-to-moderately full body and vibrant flavors of stony minerality, some fresh apricot tones, a little bit of creamy oak, light saline nuances, a hint of ripe Golden Delicious apple and a touch of spice. The moderately high acidity keeps the wine wonderfully in balance, making the overall feel enjoyably structured. The finish is firm, ripe yet dry and quite focused with a long aftertaste of fresh apricot, some spicy tones, a little bit of leesy creaminess, light steely mineral notes, a hint of crunchy Granny Smith apple and a sweeter touch of honeydew melon.
A wonderfully vibrant, nuanced and balanced single-vineyard Grüner Veltliner. Stylistically very similar to the equally delightful 2024 Ried Gaisberg GV, both the wines showing great sense of depth and balance; perhaps this Grub showed a bit more ripeness and volume, whereas the Gaisberg felt a bit less fruity and a bit more mineral and structure-driven. The overall feel here is still super youthful and I feel the wine will benefit from at least a handful of additional years in a cellar, even though the wine is starting to get quite open for business already now. Priced according to its quality at 28,50€.
(93 points)
- 2024 Birgit Eichinger Grüner Veltliner 1ÖTW Ried Gaisberg - Austria, Niederösterreich, Kamptal (15.4.2026)
100% Grüner Veltliner harvested on 15th of October from Ried Grub. Macerated briefly with the skins before being fermented and aged on the lees in old 2000-liter oak fuders and stainless steel tanks. Bottled in August 2025. 13% alcohol, 3,4 g/l residual sugar and 5,4 g/l acidity.
Pale lime-green color. The nose feels fresh, vibrant and youthful with quite intense aromas of herby spice, some crunchy notes of nashi pear, a little bit of steely minerality, light sharp Granny Smith apple notes, a hint of lemon zest and a touch of leesy creaminess. The wine feels juicy, dry and crunchy on the palate with a moderately full body and vibrant flavors of steely minerality and ripe lemony citrus fruit, some herby notes, a little bit of leesy creaminess, light spicy nuances of white pepper, a hint of apple peel bitterness and a touch of nashi pear. The high acidity lends good sense of freshness, focus and structure to the wine. The finish is crisp, long and lively with a dry aftertaste of ripe Granny Smith apple, some fresh pear tones, a little bit of leesy creaminess, light steely mineral notes, a hint of herby spices and a touch of wood.
A vibrant, focused and sophisticated single-vineyard Grüner Veltliner with great sense of freshness and balance. Stylistically very similar to the 2024 Grub GV; basically the Grub bottling seemed to show a bit more breadth, ripeness and a tiniest bit of oak influence, whereas this Gaisberg bottling is a tad more focused with emphasis on the spicy nuances and minerality over ripeness. The differences are quite minute between the wines and I'd say they are qualitatively on par with each other, but if push came to shove, I'd say I liked this Gaisberg a tiny bit more over Grub. Both the wines were still wonderful examples of Kamptal Grüner Veltliner and easily among some of my favorites we tasted on our trip to Austria. I can see this wine aging, evolving and improving effortlessly over medium to long term. Terrific value at 23€.
(93 points)
- 2024 Birgit Eichinger Grüner Veltliner 1ÖTW Ried Lamm - Austria, Niederösterreich, Kamptal (15.4.2026)
100% Grüner Veltliner harvested on 19th of October from Ried Lamm. Macerated briefly with the skins before being fermented spontaneously and aged on the lees in used 1000-liter oak fuders and 300-liter oak casks for 8 months. Bottled in August 2025. 13% alcohol, 4,9 g/l residual sugar and 5,5 g/l acidity.
Medium-deep lime-green color. The nose feels quite ripe, rich and wonderfully nuanced with layered aromas of honeydew melon and stony minerality, some creaky oak tones, a little bit of ripe pear, light crunchy notes of Fuji apples and star fruits, a hint of cantaloupe and a touch of peppery spice. The wine feels broad, firm and clean on the palate with a full body and intense flavors of spicy red apple and cantaloupe, some sweet honeyed tones, a little bit of salinity and stony minerality, light kiwifruit notes, a hint of ripe pear and a subtly reductive touch of smoke. The residual sugar seems to accentuate the ripeness and adds a little bit of volume, whereas the high acidity lends a good amount of freshness, structure and intensity to the wine while offsetting the sweetness from the residual sugar. The finish is long, lively and nuanced with a dry, concentrated aftertaste of ripe Fuji apple and pear, some honeyed tones, a little bit of stony minerality, light creamy oak nuances, a hint of tangy salinity and a touch of fresh mirabelle plum.
A rich, complex and very impressive Grüner Veltliner. I'm very partial to Schloss Gobelsburg's GVs, but this was a rare example of young Grüner Veltliner that could hold a candle to those of Schloss Gobelsburg. Eichinger seems to make some very impressive and serious Grüner Veltliners, and their Lamm was the most impressive effort we tasted while visiting the estate. It is still super youthful and holds tons of potential, but it is pretty obvious already now that this is a very fine wine that has a great future ahead. A stunning effort from the rather substantial yet very balanced harmonious end of the spectrum. Terrific value at 33€.
(94 points)
- 2025 Birgit Eichinger Chardonnay Glorreich - Austria, Niederösterreich, Kamptal (15.4.2026)
100% Chardonnay harvested on 28th of September from a 27-yo parcel in Ried Gaisberg. As the winery now belongs to the ÖTW association, and Chardonnay is not associated with Ried Gaisberg, the vineyard name is not allowed in the label anymore. Thus, the wine goes under the name Glorreich ("glorious") today - named after the 2nd generation winemaker, Gloria Eichinger. Macerated briefly with the skins before being fermented and aged on the lees in stainless steel tanks (+50%) and new 300-liter oak casks (less than 50%). Bottled in March 2026. 13% alcohol, 3,3 g/l residual sugar and 6,0 g/l acidity.
Pale greenish color. The nose feels primary and surprisingly tropical with sweet aromas of pear drops, some sour apple candies, a little bit of herby spice, light pineapple tones, a hint of cantaloupe and a touch of apple jam. The wine feels crisp and quite lively but also somewhat round on the palate with a moderately full body and youthful flavors of pear drops, some apple jam, light honeydew melon notes, a little bit of creamy oak and a hint of vanilla. The rather high acidity keeps things fresh and lively. The finish is youthful and somewhat sweet-toned with a medium-long aftertaste of pear drops, some sour apple candy notes, a little bit of sweet tropical fruit, light lactic notes of peach-flavored yogurt and a hint of vanilla.
To be frank, this was the only Eichinger wine I wasn't a fan of. Instead of tasting like a classic, mineral and subtly oaked Chardonnay, this tasted like an estery, candied and rather banal everyday white with good, acid-driven freshness but a very anonymous, sweetly-fruited flavor profile. As the wine was so dominated by the sweet, primary fermentation flavors, I suspect the wine could turn into something more enjoyable and interesting with additional years of aging. However, as the wine is closed with a screwcap closure, I doubt the wine is going to develop any evolved qualities anytime soon. Feels a bit pricey for the quality at 15,50€.
(84 points)
- 2025 Birgit Eichinger Roter Veltliner Glorreich - Austria, Niederösterreich, Kamptal (15.4.2026)
100% Roter Veltliner harvested on 9th of September from a parcel in Ried Stangl. As the winery now belongs to the ÖTW association, and Roter Veltliner is not associated with Ried Stangl, the vineyard name is not allowed in the label anymore. Thus, the wine goes under the name Glorreich ("glorious") today - named after the 2nd generation winemaker, Gloria Eichinger. Macerated overnight with the skins before being fermented and aged on the lees in stainless steel tanks. Bottled in February 2026. 12,5% alcohol, 4,1 g/l residual sugar and 6,6 g/l acidity.
Pale yellow-green color. The nose feels fragrant, nuanced and very youthful with aromas of greengage and ripe Granny Smith apple, some primary grapey notes, a little bit of savory spices, light perfumed floral tones, a hint of pear juice and a touch of chopped aromatic herbs. The wine feels fresh and lively on the palate with a medium body and bright flavors of pear and greengage, some ripe cantaloupe, light stony mineral tones, a little bit of zesty grapefruit, a hint of tangy salinity and a touch of savory spice. The brisk acidity makes the wine feel zippy, balanced and quite structured. The finish is lively and crunchy with a long, dry aftertaste of juicy red apples, some saline mineral tones, a little bit of cantaloupe, light primary notes of ripe grapey fruit, a hint of fragrant spices and a touch of sweet pear.
A fresh and still quite primary but also very promising Roter Veltliner showing good sense of structure and nice potential for further development. Out of the entry-level wines in Eichinger's range (if you can call a single-vineyard Roter Veltliner as "entry-level wine"), this was easily my favorite: it showed good sense of freshness and structure along with great flavor intensity and sense of nuance. Although this was pretty lovely already now, I can see the wine evolving into something even more interesting as it ages and loses those candied primary flavors. Terrific stuff, solid value at 15,50€.
(91 points)
- 2025 Birgit Eichinger Riesling Zöbing - Austria, Niederösterreich, Kamptal (15.4.2026)
100% Riesling harvested on 22nd of September from the Eichinger vineyards in Zöbing: Gaisberg and Heiligenstein. Briefly soaked with the skins, then fermented and aged on the lees in stainless steel tanks for four months. Bottled in late February 2026. 12% alcohol, 3,9 g/l residual sugar and 7,2 g/l acidity.
Pale lime-green color. The nose feels youthful and quite primary with very expressive aromas of pear drops, some appley tones, a little bit of hoppy IPA-like character, light notes of key lime, a hint of passion fruit and a touch of herby spice. The wine feels youthful, brisk and lively on the palate with a light body and expressive flavors of almost hoppy, IPA-like notes and steely minerality, some key lime, a little bit of ripe pear and even pear drops, light passion fruit tones, a hint of lemony citrus fruit and a touch of apple peel bitterness. The brisk, focused acidity lends a good amount of freshness and zip to the wine. The finish is dry and brisk with a rather long aftertaste of ripe citrus fruits, some greengage, light youthful notes of pear, a little bit of tart key lime and a hint of crunchy passion fruit.
An enjoyably bright and zippy but also a bit simple and linear village-level Riesling that is still quite primary in overall feel. The distinctively aromatic, almost IPA-like hoppy notes and flavors lend a fun, carefree air to the wine, which suits the overall fruit profile pretty nicely. The wine feels a bit underwhelming compared to Eichinger's two single-vineyard Rieslings, but at least its bright and zippy acidity manages to keep things balanced and refreshing. I hope the wine develops a bit more depth and gravitas as it ages. Despite its shortcomings, this is still good value at 12,50€.
(89 points)
- 2023 Birgit Eichinger Riesling 1ÖTW Gaisberg - Austria, Niederösterreich, Kamptal (15.4.2026)
100% Riesling harvested on 24th of October from Ried Gaisberg. Macerated briefly with the skins before being fermented spontaneously and aged on the lees in stainless steel tanks until bottling in July 2024. 13,5% alcohol, 5,7 g/l residual sugar and 8,0 g/l acidity.
Pale greenish color. The fragrant nose feels expressive with aromas of cantaloupe, some floral notes of apple blossom, light stony mineral notes, a little bit of juicy white peach, a distant petrolly hint of diesel and a touch of beeswax. The wine feels vibrant, quite crunchy and enjoyably structure-driven on the palate with a medium-to-moderately full body and quite intense flavors of key lime, some honeyed richness, light peachy tones, a little bit of stony minerality, a hint of lemon marmalade and a touch of beeswax. The residual sugar lends a little bit of textural richness to the overall feel, but the high acidity offsets any obvious sweetness from the sugar quite effortlessly, while making the wine come across as very crisp and focused at the same time. The finish is crisp, dry and lively with a long aftertaste of lemon marmalade and ripe white peach, some cantaloupe, light honeyed tones, a little bit of fresh Fuji apple, a hint of fresh apricot and a touch of stony minerality.
I'm normally not that fond of Kamptal Rieslings - I find Kamptal Grüner Veltliners much more interesting, while I think Wachau is much more successful with Riesling - but this was a very lovely and thoroughly impressive effort. To me, Eichinger is first and foremost a Grüner Veltliner producer, but this Riesling was equally stunning as their best Grüner Veltliner we tasted at the estate. Somehow the overall feel was quite similar to a GG Riesling from Mosel - only with a bit more Austrian ripe fruit emphasis. The wine was still very youthful and I can see it aging and improving effortlessly for another decade or two. Very highly recommended. Terrific value at 28€.
(94 points)
- 2023 Birgit Eichinger Riesling 1ÖTW Ried Heiligenstein - Austria, Niederösterreich, Kamptal (15.4.2026)
100% Riesling harvested on 25th of October from Ried Heiligenstein. Macerated briefly with the skins before being fermented spontaneously and aged on the lees in stainless steel tanks until bottling in July 2024. 13,5% alcohol, 6,3 g/l residual sugar and 8,0 g/l acidity.
Pale greenish color. The nose feels very primary but also enjoyably nuanced with aromas of sharp key lime and fresh nectarine, some youthful grapey tones, a little bit of ripe lemony citrus fruit, light herby notes, a sweet hint of greengage and a mineral touch of chalk dust. The wine feels youthful, vibrant and quite ripe with a medium body and slightly concentrated flavors of lime marmalade and ripe greengage, some stony and chalky mineral notes, a little bit of fresh appley fruit, light lemony citrus notes, a hint of herby spice and a touch of honeydew melon. The residual sugar adds a sense of richness to the texture and a subtly sweet layer to the otherwise dry flavor profile, while the high acidity makes the wine feel firm, fresh and balanced. The finish is fresh, long and mineral with a dry-ish aftertaste of ripe lemony citrus fruits, some lime marmalade tones, a little bit of steely minerality, light sweet nuances of greengage and apple jam, a hint of tangy salinity and a touch of chalk dust.
A ripe, rich and fine-tuned single-vineyard Riesling that shows good sense of balance and harmony. Despite being on the ripe side of things, the wine still manages to show good sense of freshness and structure with its bright, focused acidity - although I feel the somewhat generous amount of residual sugar takes a little bit of the edge off from the acidic zip. Although the wine is technically dry, with its combination of residual sugar and elevated ripeness, the overall feel is more dry-ish than fully dry. This is a lovely Riesling through and through, but I have to say I liked the slightly more brisk and precise 2023 Gaisberg Riesling a tad more. Most likely the wine will evolve and improve nicely as it ages and loses those sweetest, estery primary fruit flavors. Priced according to its quality at 35€.
(92 points)
Having tasted the wines, I felt even more strongly that Kamptal is the best region for Grüner Veltliner. Sure, there were some very impressive single bottlings of Grüner Veltliner in Wachau as well, but as a whole, when it came to Grüner Veltliners, the overall quality in the Eichinger range was simply superb. The wine were no-nonsense, honest and very balanced expressions of the variety and really true to the region. Even with their ripeness and tiniest doses of residual sugar, the wines didn’t come across as voluptuous or exaggerated as some (or quite many) examples in Wachau. Maybe quite clean and polished, even safe, sleek and technical in style, but nevertheless very balanced and delicious in overall feel.
In addition to these Grüner Veltliners, the single-vineyard Rieslings and the one Roter Veltliner were pretty darn nice as well! Unsurprisingly, after the tasting, most of us - who had enough room in our luggage - bought a nice stack of bottles from Gloria before we finally returned back to our gästehaus in Krems.
To close this visit: the old, huge wooden press that greets the visitors right outside the Eichinger winery.
