Wiener Gemischter Satz

This is an example of what Gemischter Satz can be in the right hands.

We tasted it on the first day of Vie Vinum in Vienna 2012 and it remained one of the most impressive examples we tasted in the entire fair.

This is incredibly good and irresistible, lively, fresh and a perfect wine to drink with friends.

A Gemischter Satz is a wine made from a variety of grapes, but it is not just a blend or a cuvée. Up to 20 different grape varieties are planted in the same vineyard, then harvested and pressed together. No variety can dominate.

Originally, growers used the varying degrees of ripeness and acidity as a way to ensure consistent quality and guard against the risk of poor harvests. With modern knowledge and skills, quality was no longer a concern and the focus switched to single variety wines (to show their newfound skills) and big cuvées.

Gemischter Satz fell out of favour at the end of the 20th century, but recently Austrians have increasingly been rediscovering these wines as, in the right hands, they are a unique and distinctive expression of terroir across generations.

The 2016 is one of The Observer's top 50 wines for summer 2017.