Fred Loimer - Achtung Malvasier

ORANGE WINE
Historically, the most ancient form of wine production originates from Georgia. In recent years, a number of European wineproducers in countries such as Slovenia, Italy, Croatia, Germany, Austria and France have begun to adopt this traditional form of wine production. The Kakhetian Traditional Winemaking was founded in the region of Kakheti in Georgia and describes skinmaceration during fermentation, which is a method normally associated with red wine production and dates back to the ancient world, some 4500 to 5000 years ago. Often referred to as Orange wines, the macerated white wine grapes ferment with prolonged skin-contact to develop a deep orange to amber hue, which is intensified by the absence of sulphur during maturation in wooden cask. Gemischter Satz The Austrian term Gemischter Satz" refers to a ‘mixed field blend': a mixture of grape varieties are planted in a single vineyard site, and the grapes are harvested in one session - late and early ripening varieties together - and are subsequently pressed as a mixture. The charm of the wine is its broad and complex spectrum of aromas. Depending on the attributes of the different varieties, the finished wine can display either fruit-driven or spicy characters. The five grape varieties that ripen on Eichelberg are Roter Veltliner, Grüner Veltliner, Roter and Weißer Riesling, and Welschriesling. Zöbing Eichelberg The Eichelberg site is situated on the west bank of the River Kamp, northwest of Zöbing and directly opposite Heiligenstein. The vineyard lies at around 300 metres above sea level and is an extension of the Waldviertel high plateau. The vineyards have a south-eastern exposure and the soils are of granite bedrock. Warm days and the diurnal effect of cool airstreams from Waldviertel during the night provide the perfect conditions for elegant, structured wines. Vinification The grapes were picked and collected in small harvest boxes, and subsequently destemmed. The intact berries were carefully emptied into the maceration tanks and were left to ferment on their skins for 11 weeks, prior to pressing and further maturation in oak cask for a period of 10 months. The wine was then moved into stainless steel tank, where it rested on its fine lees for a further 8 months. Eichelberg was bottled unfiltered in April 2013.