Wine Detail
# KF020
Limited inventory!
Feiler-Artinger “Jonathan” Essenz Ruster Ausbruch 2005, 375 ml
from Feiler-Artinger (View all)The very limited edition Ruster Ausbruch Essenz bottling, named for the vintner’s son in honor of his birth. As one might expect, this is truly a special wine. 94 points from the Falstaff Guide.
- 50 % - Welschriesling
- 50 % - Chardonnay (AKA Pinot Chardonnay, Morillon, Feinburgunder, Aubaine, Auvernat, Beaunois, Epinette Blanche, Petite Sainte-Marie, Weisser Clevner)
| Wine Spectator | 93 - “Fruity, ripe and juicy, with intense flavors of guava, pineapple, glazed apricot and cream. The thick, viscous finish features plenty of decadent caramel and butterscotch. ” |
| Wine Advocate | 92 - “The Feilerâ??s 2005 Ruster Ausbruch Essenz Jonathan is yet another noble variant on Chardonnay and Welschriesling. In a tradition of nobly sweet wine that extends from the Neusiedlersee to Alsace, a special cuvee is named for a family member, in this instance the latest of the Feiler clan, with which it shares a vintage. Glazed apricot, pear nectar, quince jelly, and honey in the nose lead to a remarkable palate of enormous richness and viscosity yet an airy delicate touch. This almost floats away in the finish but lacks the primary fruit, spiciness, and grip that made the â??regularâ? (if one can even use that word!) 2006 Ausbruch Essenz especially irresistible. Still, Iâ??ve no doubt there will be further rewards in store for any few who cellar this wine for one or two decades.” |
| Falstaff Wine Guide | 94 |
| IWC | 94 - “Deep golden yellow. Apricot jam and peach concentrate with intense spiced honey, damp rock and tobacco on the nose and in the mouth. Clear and precise with razor-sharp acid structure breathing life into the wine. Apricot jam and salty minerals persist on a very long finish. Should offer tremendous drinking pleasure for decades. Drink 2009 to 2030.” |
| Wine & Spirits | 95 - “Massive in its concentration, this moves like a glacier across the palate, coating the mouth in its pillowy, honeyed flavors of pineapple, papaya, summer peach and candied orange. More impressive than its sheer weight, however, is the way this wine achieves balance with its laserlike, Tokaji-esque acidity, leaving the palate feeling refreshed and energized despite the huge richness.” |
| Alcohol content | 6.5% |
|---|---|
| Bottle size (ml) | 375 ml |
| Residual Sugar | 99.9 g/l |
| Wine style | Dessert |
| Cellar potential | Optimal 2007-forever |
| Closure | Cork |
The town of Rust is perhaps best known for its world-class late harvest wines, a specialty of which is known here as Ruster Ausbruch. The "Ruster" describes that it is from this town, and the “Ausbruch” describes the method of only picking out the most perfectly shriveled & botrysized grapes. Why are the wines from here so incredible? It might have something to do with the fact that in 1681 Rust was proclaimed a Free Town of the Austro-Hungarian Empire, and this distinction came at a steep price: 10,000 liters of the Ruster Ausbruch wine had to be sent to the royalty every year. A practice for survival became the practice of something spectacular.
The Feiler-Artinger winery was established in Rust in the early 1900’s by Gustav and Karoline Feiler. After the second world war, they were the first to restart the tradition of harvesting grapes afflicted with noble rot for the production of Ausbruch. In 1955 Gustav's son Hans took the reins and steered things well, and since 1994 the third generation, in the form of Hans' eldest son Kurt, has stepped into line. Their work has not gone unnoticed; in 1999 Hans and Kurt were jointly declared “Late Harvest Wine Makers of the Year” at the Wine Challenge in London, and Robert Parker Jr. of the Wine Advocate rates the winery as among Austria's best producers (giving it 4 1/2 out of 5 stars) In fact, critics from Wine Advocate to Wine Spectator have consistently rated these wines in the 90's. The winery has 64 acres with an annual production of 12,500 cases; 30% white, 55% red, and 15% sweet.
As Hans puts it: “I strongly believe that harmony in the family brings harmony to the wines.” This must be one happy family.
The west side of the lake... The Austrian wine establishment has now begun to call this region Leithaberg, after the local hillsides themselves, although it is hard to imagine winegrowing in this region without the benificent influence of the lake. The free city of Rust has been famous for its sweet wines for centuries, now producing memorable reds and dry whites as well. The towns of St Margarethen, Donnerskirchen and Grosshöflein are all proving to be sources of excellent grapes from the varieties Blaufränkisch and St Laurent, as well as for the more surprising Sauvignon Blanc. The major municipality Eisenstadt is the capital of Burgenland; the area has been settled since the early Iron Age, and evidence of viticulture exists in Celtic hill burials from nearly three thousand years ago.
