Weszeli

KamptalAustria
Weszeli winemaker

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Davis Weszeli purchased top Kamptal vineyards in 2011 and was joined in 2015 by German-born winemaker, Thomas Ganser. Their vision for long cellar-aged wines and their farming is certified organic since 2020 and biodynamic conversion started in 2019. The climate is a tug-of-war between cold north winds and the eastern warm Pannonian winds. The soil and rock types are metamorphic, igneous and sedimentary.
Weszeli

Weszeli - 2017 Riesling, “Seeberg”

Price: $66.00
Size: 750ml
Availability: 

24+ in stock

Type of Wine: White
Grape(s): 100% Riesling
Style: High acid, Mineral

GROWER OVERVIEW

Davis Weszeli left the urban grind in 2011 and stepped into his winegrowing dream in Austria’s Kamptal by purchasing a rockstar collection of vineyards from the highly regarded and newly retired naturalist winegrower, Rupert Summerer. Joined in 2015 by German-born winemaker, Thomas Ganser, Weszeli’s vision for extensive cellar-aged Rieslings and Grüner Veltliner wines began its heyday. Farming practices are certified organic (conversion in 2017) and biodynamic (conversion in 2019), along with the continuation of Summerer’s natural farming philosophy. The soils are a mix of metamorphic bedrock (paragneiss, orthogneiss, mica-schist and amphibolite) with topsoil of various depths (some as deep as a meter and others only a few centimeters) composed of variations in decomposed bedrock, loess, clay, and with high levels of iron. The heart of their production is three Grüner Veltliners and four Rieslings that macerate between 6-18 hours prior to pressing and naturally ferment for two to three months in steel before aging for extended periods (some up to 30 months) in steel and large wood vats prior to bottling. All wines are filtered, and the Grüner Veltliners are also fined.

VINEYARD DETAILS

The Riesling Ried Seeberg 1ÖTW comes from vines replanted in 1966 on large south-facing terraces between 270-320m. The bedrock is of mica schist and the topsoil decomposed bedrock, calcareous loess, clay, and sand.

CELLAR NOTES

Each vintage is handled according to its growing conditions, but the general approach is to harvest each site in three passes: the first for entry-level wines and sparkling base, the second to provide blending components for the entry-level range, and the final (and most complex) for Erste Lage. Erste Lage fruit undergoes whole-bunch maceration for 6–18 hours—longer in cooler years, shorter in warmer ones—before a natural fermentation of 2–3 months in steel. Malolactic fermentation may occur if sulfur is not added for an extended period, though it is not desired. The Erste Lage wines are then aged in large wooden casks for 2.5 years before bottling, and released 4–5 years after the vintage. The entry-level wines go through a much shorter process and are released the year after harvest season.

About The Wine

The diversity of the Kamptal is extensive, and Davis Weszeli’s vineyards have great breadth in various exposures, soil types, and genetic materials that have amassed from the nearly 400-year-old Summerer estate he purchased in 2010. Seeberg, primarily grown on mica schist (another acidic rock type), gives tremendous saltiness and deep mineral characteristics, and may be the top site in his collection.

Honey, apple, preserved lemon, and a light white smokiness lead with aromatic charm, while the initial attack on the front palate is strong and piercing with layers of texture. This high acid, salty wine is ripe with tart apricot flavors and finishes with a soft bitterness—a welcome quality in a wine like this!—lingering on the back-palate for what seems like minutes. 18 months in semi-neutral 2000-liter oak barrels (purchased in 2011) help transform what could be a behemoth wine with ridged angles into a vast wine that manages to be both lithe and deeply complex.