Weingut Jurtschitsch, "Mon Blanc" 2020

Northwest of Vienna, and the northernmost in the corridor of river-valleys that have defined some of Austria’s most well-known wines, the Kamptal has long cultivated a region for piercing Rieslings and Grüners of real heft & power & aging potential. Being so northerly, the region also has a quieter history that mixes power with subtlety and avoids enormous ABV potential. Long one of the forerunners of this particularly profound expression of Kamptal wines, Weingut Jurtschitsch has – for 10+ years now – been stewarded by a new generation of winegrowers, Alwin & Stef Jurtschitsch, whose emphasis has been on vineyard invigoration (introducing organic/biodynamic methods and in particular a very broad biodiversity in their holdings) along with the introduction of a range of wines that are more playful & distinctly ‘natural.’ They are curious producers who rely on their bedrock of expertise in classic vinification to venture into experimental productions such as their “Discoveries of Langenlois” range which features wines that employ extended skin-maceration and are fully zero-zero. For the wine share this month, we have their entry-level ‘Mon Blanc’ which is a perfect introduction to their philosophy – zippy & acid-driven, the wine sees some skin-contact to impart texture and deeper aromatics while structure is retained and the wine is meant to be refreshing rather punishing.

A Kamptal orange for the scorching summer days ahead. Gruner, Riesling, Weissburgunder, and Muskateller are cofermented and spend ten days on the skins in open-top barrels. The juice ages briefly in large old oak barrels and is bottled unfined, unfiltered with a touch of SO2.