Stagård - Charm and Beauty in the Kremstal

6/29/15 -

(The vines of the Steiner Schreck, perched above the city of Krems on the Danube.)

On the recommendation of one of my favorite German winemakers, Gernot Kollmann of Immich-Batterieberg, I paid a visit to Dominique and Urban Stagård in Lower Austria this April. I was charmed. They have about 12 hectares in Kremstal that they farm organically, picturesque terraces overlooking the Danube including the remarkable Steiner Hund that many fans of Nikolaihof are familiar with.

Not only is the farming meticulous but the cellar work is also exceptional, without any undue manipulation or additions to the wine, save for a small amount of sulfur, usually around 30 mg/liter of total SO2. Fermentations all are spontaneous. More importantly, the wines accentuate purity, clarity, and balance in a way that few in the region can match. While other top producers in Wachau, Kremstal, and Kamptal may beat them in terms of power and force or perhaps the number of times ‘lasers’ are mentioned when tasting their wines, Stagård truly delivers in terms of sublime beauty and drinkability. Even the Steiner Hund and Gaisberg bottlings from 2013 are quite enjoyable now, though they have extraordinary detail and fine-boned structure that make the wines superior candidates for cellaring.

The Handwerk wines are sourced from all of their holdings, usually from the second vineyard pass. As the name implies, the work is all done by hand, and the results are delicious, complex, and not at all expensive for the high level of work each bottle represents. Though the estate is nearly 1,000 years-old, the wines have never been available in the U.S. and we are thrilled to be introducing this gorgeous lineup. Jonathan Kemp