During the last eight days...
06. October 2003 | 20:34
.. we have been harvesting more intensively – we even “burrowed” the picking crew from Schloss Gobeslburg (www.gobelsburg.at)! The reason: the grapes were in absolutely ideal condition: fully ripe but not overripe, and totally healthy. We have so far harvested Langenloiser Spiegel (Pinot Blanc and Pinot Gris), Muskateller, much of the Chardonnay, the St Laurent and the Pinot Noir.
The grapes taste beautiful right now, especially the Grüner Veltliner, which have gained in character and personality enormously because of the cool nights.Because of the extremely hot summer, many berries were damaged by the intensity of the sun, and they now have to be selected out by hand. The berry skins are very thick and contain less juice (which means the harvest is smaller than on average over the last ten years).
This year, too, we will buck the trend of selling primeur wines: the manipulations and processes necessary for this, epsecially the filtering, cause a great deal of stress on the wines and are not compatible with our ideas of a fine, noble, and healthy wine.