Philipp Blom
One of the wine worlds premier personalities...
Philipp Blom "The Wines of Austria" www.mitchell-beazley.com
Fully revised and updated in its second edition, this is the definitive English reference to Austrian wines and winemaking.
see p.121
Bründlmayer: With a combination of superb wine making skill, great personal charm, and fine business sense, Willi Bründlmayer has established himself as one of the wine worlds premier personalities...
He asked the Author to give a personal statement on the wines of Bründlmayer. Here his answer:
"Willi Bründlmayer´s achievement in Austria is nothing less than the squaring of the circle: being a large producer who consistently makes world-class wines."
I have many wonderful memories of Bründlmayer wines, be it tasting old vintages (what a fabulous ageing potential: 20, 30 year, and much more!) with Willi himself in the beautiful cellars, taking treasured bottles out of my own small collection, or coming across his wines abroad with a feeling of meeting old friends. It is nearly impossible to pick a favourite, though if pressed perhaps that distinction would have to go to Riesling Heiligenstein Alte Reben, a cru preserving its miraculous finesse and depth acorss the vintages - but this is another element of the Bründlmayer miracle: with a palette reaching from great Riesling and Grüner Veltliner to excellent Chardonnay, very considerable reds, and simply the best sparkling wine outside of the Champagne, one has great difficulties choosing.
One more thing: with great winemakers the character of the person is often reflected in the wines. It might be an exaggeration to say that wines can be kind and have a fine sense of humour, but they can be definitely thoughtful, generous, urbane, elegant, and quietly authoritative. I can find all these qualities in the Bründlmayer wines I have tasted over the years.
