2010 Grande Cuvée Nouvelle Vague TBA (Nummer 6)

A generation ago, Austria was known internationally, if at all, for its Ausbruch, the local name for wines with the ripeness and density of Beerenauslese and Trockenbeerenauslese. After the scandal in 1985, many estates turned their backs on the production of such wines. Not so Alois Kracher, who instead made them the focus of all of his energy. Almost single-handedly he rekindled interest in a style that finds its purest expression in those vineyards under the influence of the warm, moist autumn climate generated by Lake Neusiedl. His son Gerhard has been responsible for the estate since his father's untimely death in 2007 and has done a better job of embellishing his father's vision than anyone would have thought possible at the time. Colleagues have described it as Sauternes without the wood. As Kracher makes two styles, that is not quite the case. Zwischen den Seen, or between the seas, is the traditional style; Nouvelle Vague, or new wave, is the French interpretation. I often drink most of these wines with more pleasure than Sauternes because at 7% to 11% they are more charming. In Sauternes, producers accept higher alcohols in order to have less residual sugar. Each year, all of the Trockenbeerenausleses are numbered, with the lowest numbers being the ones Kracher thinks are the best. (www.kracher.at) Also recommended: 2012 Pinot Gris (85), 2010 Zweigelt (85), 2011 Auslese Cuvee (88), 2012 Zweigelt Beerenauslese (88).

Listening to Gerhard Kracher talk about his family can only be described as emotional. Kracher's grandfather, Alois Sr., was chronically undernourished and was thus mistaken for a boy and spared by the Nazis during World War II. Kracher's father, Alois Jr. ‘Luis', was one of the most beloved figures in the world of wine. Luis Kracher put his estate on the map with a series of stunningly beautiful and rich dessert wines that showed the world what was possible with meticulous viticulture and inspired winemaking. Tragically, Luis Kracher died of pancreatic cancer in 2007 at just 48 years of age. Knowing he was a dying man, Luis Kracher spent his last year imparting a lifetime of wisdom to his son, Gerhard, who now runs the family estate. These stories of pure survival and a family's struggle to continue their traditions stand in stark contrast to much of life today, when it is so easy to be consumed with far more trivial matters. Kracher makes a wide range of wines, but it is the late-harvest, botrytised sweet wines, known as the Collection, that are the most famous. From year to year, the production varies. In 1995 Kracher the lineup included 15 different wines, but in 2003 there was just one. The wines in the Collection are numbered in order of concentration from lightest to richest. There are two basic styles at Kracher. The Zwischen den Seen ‘between the lakes' wines are aged in stainless steel and/or cask and mostly emphasize freshness, while French oak shapes the Nouvelle Vague selections. Both approaches yield fabulous results. I was particularly struck by the 2010s in this tasting. It was a difficult vintage with a severely limited crop, but the wines have incredible acidity, minerality and depth. For example, the last wine in this tasting, the #10 Scheurebe Trockenbeerenauslese Zwischen den Seen boasts residual sugar of nearly 300 grams per liter and acidity north of 10%, a combination that is rarely seen. I can hardly wait to taste the rest of the Collection. I tasted all of these wines at a seminar I led at Pebble Beach Food & Wine in April. As is my custom, I tasted all of the wines several times throughout the afternoon, including before and after the seminar.