Relatively Inexpensive Trockenbeerenauslese suggestions

The areas in Austria around the Neusieder See (a shallow lake on the Austrian-Hungarian border) have a climate that makes it possible to have TBAs on a fairly regular basis, and thus the cost of some can be less than in many area of Germany where making a TBA is a much less common event. Some very good, as well as some rather commercial, late harvest wines are made here. One of the regulars in ths group from Austria probably will be along to give you specific suggestions. My knowledge of this region is out of date, since I have not bought wines from it in recent years. Anyway, the Austrians make sweet late harvest wines, including TBA, from a large number of white, and sometimes even red, grapes. I nearly think that someone must have at least tried to make a late harvest wine from every good wine grape grown in Austria! Some outstanding TBAs have been made in other parts of Austria most noted for dry table wines, but they often are more rare and expensive. If you have not done so, I also suggest that you taste a Hungarian Tokaji Aszu of 5 Puttonyos richness. If you like the TBA style, you might also like this very rich late harvest Hungarian wine.

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Not unless the OP states where he is based and what's available there. It makes no sense telling him that XY in Z makes phantastic wines, when the only place you can get them is his winery and two shops in Vienna.

Thus said, widely available good QPR TBAs come from the stable of Lenz Moser and Höpler.

M.

DC area. Thanks for the replies.

Marc

Now that we know you are in the USA in the Washington DC area, I did a little searching. I did not find a store in your area that has the wine, but there could well be one. If you go to

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Hello! These TBA wines are available from our website,

To make this slightly more interesting to other group readers, I am including whatever notes I might have on each wine from the vintner or from a publication (mostly Austrian).

1. Heiss 2001 TBA Riesling 156 g/l residual sugar. .99 FRANZ HEISS: "Riesling is my favorite grape. This is where you get a chance to really experience elegance and finesse. As is typical for a Riesling you'll find peach and apricot notes. Also typical is the acidity (8.8%) They call the Riesling the king of the wines, and I agree. 1999 brought beautiful wines in that they were very clean in their fruitiness and had beautiful acidity and elegance. This wine has eternal youth, meaning it is staying young."

the nose are fine notes of mandarins and tropical fruits. Elegant palate, with a lean acidity which carries the wine. True to varietal. Elegant finish of lemons.

1. Heiss 1998 TBA Pinot Blanc/Sauvignon Blanc 168 g/l residual sugar. .99 FRANZ HEISS: "Very soft and fine on the palate; very harmonic. This wine has already reached a high level of development and is ready to drink but can be cellared for a long time. 1998 was a great year for botrytis. The Pinot Blanc [60%] grape in this blend gives the fine notes and the Sauvignon Blanc [40%] gives the spice. There is a lot of melt on the palate. Very ripe. Very dense and harmonic. Really, a very noble wine."

over-the-top richness than its overall balance, with layers of honey, dried apricots and orange marmalade all laid on thick and sweet. Persistent on the finish.

1. Pasler TBA "C" 2001 Chardonnay 195 g/l residual sugar. .99 MARTIN PASLER: "The Trockenbeerenauslese "C" is a single variety cuvée of Chardonnay which is very well balanced. Elegant botrytis notes pair with clean fruit, resulting in a soft and creamy dessert wine. Barrel fermented in small oak barrique, 112.5 liter, for a year and 10 months. It is great now with an even bigger future."

notes are a little closed still, berry confit, dense and long.

1. Velich 1999 TBA 222 g/l residual sugar. .99 Vintner Heinz Velich describes this Trockenbeerenauslese dessert wine as being the "high end" in the scale of possibilities for the Welschriesling grape: meaning the absolute opposite to a dry Welschriesling wine. The 1999 vintage was picked at 37.5 KMW and shows the harmony possible for this region and varietal. It should be noted here, to avoid confusion, that Welschriesling is not in any way related to the Riesling grape. Heinz points out the fresh gold yellow color, very fruity nose, fine sweetness and structure, and good length in the finish.

fruity in the nose, sweet and with structure, very long finish.

1. Gsellmann & Gsellmann 1998 TBA Chardonnay/Pinot Blanc 202 g/l residual sugar. .99 This Trockenbeerenauslese dessert wine, from a blend of 50% Chardonnay and 50% Weissburgunder (Pinot Blanc), announces itself with a deep gold-yellow color and then amazes with clear ripe fruits and spicy notes. It has a wonderful sweet/tart balance (202 g/l residual sugar to 10.4 g/l acid) while remaining resolutely juicy.
2. Gsellmann & Gsellmann 2001 Vom Golser Goldberg TBA Scheurebe/Pinot Blanc 171 g/l residual sugar. .99 Well balanced citrus, tropical fruit and apricot notes followed by a woodsy spice from its oak barrel aging. This is a very intense and fresh wine with a long finish created from a blend of 50% Scheurebe (Sämling 88) and 50% Pinot Blanc (Weissburgunder).

citrus fruits and apricots with woody spice. Very concentrated fruit, strong, with harmonious sweetness and well integrated wood, undeveloped balsamico-like aromas, very long-lasting. All prices are per bottle. All bottles are 375 ml. Enjoy, e.

Here is some more about the region, FYI:

Austria is divided into 4 wine growing regions, which are then split into 19 wine growing areas. Those 4 main regions are Lower Austria, Styria, Vienna and Burgenland (Niederosterreich, Steiermark, Wien and Burgenland, respectively.) These regions fall between 47 and 48 degrees of latitude, which is comparable to the situation of Burgundy, France.

Burgenland, Austria's second largest wine region, is made up of 4 "sub-areas" and covers about 48,000 acres. The dominating geographical influence here is the Neusiedler Lake (Neusiedlersee), and the 4 subdivided areas are called Southern Burgenland (Südburgenland), Central Burgenland (Mittelburgenland), Neusiedler Lake (Neusiedlersee) and the Neusiedler Lake Highlands (Neusiedlersee-Hügelland) It is one of the youngest wine-producing regions here, having become part of Austria in 1921.

wines, including some of the countries best Chardonnays. This is also an area where great red wines are produced, including those from the "Pannobile" co-operative who age their wines in oak.

Due to the vineyards proximity to the lake and their location in the hot Pannonian climate zone, the grapes more often than not develop "noble rot" (botrytis cinerea) which creates heady dessert wines. The region stretches along the Hungarian border across which Tokaji is being made.

The town of Rust, in the Neusiedler Lake Highlands, is where the famous Ruster Ausbruch dessert wine is made. This is also where storks come to roost every year, building their enormous nests on the roof of every building along the main roads. They make a clicking sound which is somewhere between a woodpecker and a jackhammer, and as you sit at the heuriger (wine garden) drinking the afternoon away, the potential cacophony becomes something of a symphony. best, e. __________________

Hey, these are *my* tasting notes!

M.

"Pannobile" is not at all a cooperative! It's a group of individual growers, all growing wines they like. The only thing in common is that they all vinify a white and/or a red "Pannobile", usually a oak-vinified blend of (in majority) local grape verieties.

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"Across the border" is relative. True, in fact, but on the other side of of the country, in the northeastern corner, bordering Slovakia and the Ukraine.

M.

"Pannobile" is not at all a cooperative! It's a group of individual growers, all growing wines they like. The only thing in common is that they all vinify a white and/or a red "Pannobile", usually a oak-vinified blend of (in majority) local grape verieties.

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"Across the border" is relative. True, in fact, but on the other end of of the country, in the northeastern corner, bordering Slovakia and the Ukraine.

M.

Why do you think I chose to share the notes form A La Carte? I wish we had your notes for ALL of our wines! e.

Right. I'll put "group" or something more precise in my final version. Thanks!

I had a Austrian TBA the other night for a "dirt cheap" price of $18.99 at a Total Beverage store. The name is 2001 Weingut Schiechtl Pinot Blanc TBA from Neusiedlersee. Imported by Deutsch and Sons.

Perhaps the wine is not as balanced or has as much finesse as the more expensive wines but it sure did impress my wife (the most) and I liked it as well.

The above experience is what initiated my question because for a price between $19 and $30, I thought "wow, much better than champagne".

Mark

Wow. $18.99 for a TBA is really inexpensive for here in the States, if it was as drinkable as you say. I know we (winemonger) have some incredible Beerenauslese wines closer to that range (including a Sauvignon Blanc from Heiss for $19.99 which scored 90 points from Wine Enthusiast), but no TBA's. I'm not familiar with Schiechtl. But I'd say if you liked it, you should go back and buy more. e.

Never heard from him.

M.