Yes, Austrian sparkling wine, and well made and tasty
The Wine Curmudgeon may be one of the few people who gets paid to drink wine who doesn’t shout hosannas every time Austrian wine comes around. This is not to denigrate Austrian wine, which can be delightful. Rather, it’s to note that Austrian wine has long been a favorite of sommeliers and the Winestream Media, and you can imagine how that wears me out.
So what is the Sektkellerei Szigeti Brut doing here? Because, as cranky as I can be, remember the WC’s first rule of wine criticism: “Taste the wine before you write about it.” And, upon tasting, the Sektkellerei Szigeti Brut ($22, sample, 12.5%) is worth writing about.
Know that it’s made with gruner vetliner, the much respected Austrian white grape, but doesn’t seem to be very gruner-ish. Know, also, that that isn’t necessarily a problem, since gruner can get a bt bland if the winemaker isn’t paying attention.
Finally, know that it’s a quality, professional sparkler, much better than I thought it would be (see, thinking before tasting again). There is lots and lots of acidity that somehow isn’t a problem, as well as quality bubbles and almost a sort of creaminess. The fruit flavors are some sort of unripe pear and almost green apple thing, which again is not what I expected. Some tasting notes get a spiciness, which I didn’t, but it wouldn’t surprise me if it was there.
Drink this, well chilled, on its own – porch wine, in fact – or pair it with richer seafood.
Imported by Winebow