TNs: Two 2004 Austrian rieslings

WINE TALK
1

Absolutely gorgeous day here in the Delaware Valley, sunny, mid-70’s with low humidity. Perfect end of the summer grilling day, in this case salmon burgers paired with a caesar salad. I decided to break out a couple whites to pair up with the salmon. First up:

2004 Hiedler Riesling Heiligenstein
Very light yellow-white in the glass, with a nose that leaps from the glass with slate, granny smith apples, white fruit cocktail and some more slate - great precise, delineated nose. Then bone dry on the palate; the acidity on this wine may be too much for the fruit right now. Not bad by any means, but thin in the mid-palate and less cohesive and impressive than it was on the nose. According to the label, 12.5% alcohol. We’ll see if some air opens this up later on.

2

Next up:

2004 Alzinger Riesling Loibenberg Smaragd
Color similar to the first wine, perhaps a shade more yellow/gold. Nose a little more reticent on opening, framed by minerality, white fruits and pineapple. There was an oddly off-putting cheesy note on opening, but it has dissipated almost immediately. This seems riper & more “tropical” than the Hiedler on the nose. On the palate, much “rounder” and full-bodied, with sweet fruit and a nice finish with a hint of bitterness right at the end. The acidity is still noticeable here, but in proportion with the other elements of the wine - opening round to the Alzinger [winner.gif]

3

Back in the day, we used to see sub-$15 Hiedlers, but I was in a local shop this evening, and noticed that Hiedler is starting to push $40 [it was one of those “November” bottlings].

Are there folks in this economy who still spend $40 on table wines?

4

Not sure what the term “table wine” means, Nathan? Hirtzberger’s Singerriedel goes for $65+, and there are numerous other Wachau offerings at more than $50. Are you using that term to imply that Hiedler is an everyday drinker?

5

I just took a look at WineSearcher, and Hiedler still has two entry-level wines (Loiserberg & Gaisberg) under $20. Unfortunately, it looks like the current release of the Heligenstein is now over $50 itself.

6

I’m trying to imply that after a €6 table wine passes through the likes of J&H Selbach, Terry Theise, Michael Skurnik, your state distributor, and your local retailer, it has the strangest habit of ending up at $25+.

Tell me what the difference is between these two bottles of wine:

[u]weinwelt.at[/u]

[u]vineyardgate.com[/u]

Hint: It costs about $1 to $1.25 to ship a bottle of wine across the Atlantic [depending on whether you pay extra for a reefer], and those figures are [u]plummeting[/u] - even as we speak.

7

But unless you are implying that the three-tier distribution system has gotten more egregious in it’s pricing in recent years, I’m still not sure how that relates to your point above. At least IMO, Austrian wines have never been about QPR - if one wants a cheap white, they should look to Italy, IMO.

8

In Austria they ARE table wines [QPRs].

It’s only after all the middlemen get their [various and sundry] cuts of the action that these wines become luxury goods in the USA.

If you could direct-import the November yourself, then you could sell it profitably in the low $20s [[u]€13.49[/u] = ~$19.75 + $1.25 reefer shipping].

9

Yeah, and I’m told in France Raveneau & Coche are much cheaper too - still not sure I get the point, but given that EVERY wine I buy happens to go through this same distribution system, I guess I’ll have to live with it.

10

There’s a bit more to importing than reefer cost. To start, clearing costs, transport to and from port (Austria isn’t exactly on ocean), label approval, etc etc etc. I’m not a fan of the 3 tier system, but acting like shipping/reefer cost is the only issue is a bit ridiculous. But it’s good to be back to old times- Nathan raging about the evils of Terry Thiese and the 3 tier system, and holding up Chrish Peel as the example of how the wine business should be run. Oh wait, I guess he can’t be a Peel-shill any longer! [shock.gif]

11

Dale, I guess what I still can’t figure out re: Nathan’s comments is why he chose to descend upon my humble Austrian wine thread and turn it into a diatribe against the three tier distribution system? Then again, oftentimes Austrian TNs don’t even get a return comment, so perhaps I should be grateful flirtysmile

12

Bob: Anyone who isn’t interested Austrian (and more especially German) wines is a sort of wine cripple in my view. :wink:

And I don’t have a three-tier problem, being in England, but import costs are a fact of life anyway beyond the region the wine is made in. I bought a wine for €8 in Provence that sells over here for £15 earlier this year, as a for instance.

13

Because the middlemen in our American distribution system have taken what ought to be TABLE wines and have instead turned them into LUXURY goods.

Austrian Gruners and Rieslings should NOT cost $40 - they ought to cost $20.