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ous selections produced terrific juice. Vintage 2009 was quite good, as was 2010, although quantities are much less because of excessive spring shatter. Of course, dessert still defines this part of the wine world and the Burgenland’s sublime stickies come in many styles and flavors. Bottles run the gamut from only slightly sugary Spätlese-style to medium-sweet Beerenauslese (BA, a notch below Trockenbeerenauslese, or TBA, in sugar content), from punch- packing Ruster Ausbruch (produced only in and around the lakeside town of Rust) to full-bore, sultry TBA, which at its best rivals botrytized juice from anywhere in the world. While it’s easy to enjoy much of what is available at the lower end of the sweetness spectrum, the party really begins at the BA level. Here gold-hued beauties strut their stuff in decadent combination with foie gras, caramel and even fresh fruit. In fact, the only foil that doesn’t work particularly well with botrytized wine is chocolate, ironi- cally another Austrian specialty. Trockenbeerenauslese is the focus at perhaps the most famous winery in all of Austria, Weingut Kracher. While the tale of Alois Kracher’s untimely death a few years back has been well detailed, the continuing story is of how his widow Michaela and son Gerhard have continued to honor his name by maintaining and even growing the domain that he made so integral to Austrian wine. Austria might not be the first country that springs to mind when considering wine choices, particularly in reference to red varietals. But there is no doubt that this area’s many grape growers and vintners have the requisite pas- sion and dedication to craft amazingly elegant yet full-bodied bottles that will please just about any palate. Whether reds, whites or stickies spin your pin, there’s an Austrian wine for you. One sure way to pick a great Burgenland bottle is to choose a Pannobile wine, produced from native grapes by a consortium of nine artisanal wineries based in the village of Gols. The name derives from the historical region of Pannonia that covers parts of east Austria, Hungary and ex-Yugoslavia. Each year the Pannobile wineries produce one white and one red in addition to their regular lineups. Only after each member approves may these special wines bear the Pannobile label. Outstanding Recent Burgenland Releases White Hans and Anita Nittnaus 2009 Chardonnay Leithaberg ($15) Hans and Anita Nittnaus are not only legendary winemakers (his family has made wine since at least 1684) but are also two of the founders of the Pannobile wine consortium. Their Leithaberg white (named after the newly classified region from which it is produced) promotes white peach and grapefruit at first, followed by a mineral-driven finish of tangerine and almond skin. This is high-toned and long on the palate, a serious wine indeed. MONIKA CAHA SELECTIONS Hans Igler 2010 Pinot Blanc ($15) Young, talented Clemens is the latest in his family to steer the winery’s ship. Many of his wines are impressive, but one of my favorites is the lime- and papaya-infused Pinot Blanc, an amalgam of the aforementioned fruits as well as pine- apple, cream soda and white pepper. A high- toned finish makes this lip-smacking in nature and eminently suitable for parties and the occasional solitary summer afternoon on the porch. MAGELLAN WINE IMPORTS Red Umathum 2008 Haideboden ($50) A blend of Blaufränkisch and Cabernet Sauvignon whose red cherry, butter cream and root beer aromas join charcoal and quinine on a finish that is high and long. WINEMONGER Claus Preisinger 2008 Pinot Noir ($75) A heady blend of candied cherry, rhubarb, tangerine, raspberry liqueur and black tea that fools me into thinking classic Gevrey-Chambertin from Burgundy, which should tell you as much as you need to know about the quality of this wine. CIRCO VINO, TRIAGE WINES, FARMSTEAD WINES Weingut Pittnauer 2008 St. Laurent Alte Reben ($75) Winery owner Gerhard and his charming wife Brigitte show red wine, and none is more delicious than the St. Laurent (a relative of Pinot Noir) Alte Reben (Old Vines). Purple-red in color, this deeply- flavored juice throws off aromas of violets and nutmeg while the flavors focus on black cherry, allspice and burnt sugar. MAGELLAN WINE IMPORTS Dessert Günter Triebaumer 2008 Ruster Ausbruch Welschriesling ($40, 375 ml.) Brilliantly made from Welschriesling, this exudes lime, smoke, caramel, yellow peach and dried apricot jam. Truthfully, most of the Triebaumer wines we tasted show classic flavors and textures, and Günter is so youthful and enthusiastic that this is clearly a winery to watch for the foreseeable future. MAGELLAN WINE IMPORTS Kracher2008 Trockenbeerenauslese Welschriesling No. 9 ($75, 375 ml.) Gooey and amber-yellow in color, with white peach, green melon, quince, yellow apple and mint creating a crescendo of swirling sensory impres- sions. This wine is a tour de force and in two decades, when it is mature, I recommend it be enjoyed with friends on convivial occasions. VIN DIVINO For more tasting notes from Ben Weinberg’s trip to Burgenland, visit www.tastingpanelmag.com. august 201 1 / the tasting panel / 97 PHOTO COPYRIGHT AWMB/LUKAN PHOTO COPYRIGHT AWMB/GOTSCHIM PHOTO COPYRIGHT AWMB/EGON MARK