Kracher Burgenland

The Seewinkel


The „Seewinkel“ is an area in the Burgenland region of Austria, approximately 20 km wide, along the eastern shore of lake Neusiedl. The villages of Illmitz, Apetlon and Podersdorf are situated within this reedy wetland, which is actually a natural preserve. It is an immense plain, with countless shallow lakes of various sizes scattered throughout it. Most of these lakes, including the largest, Lake Neusiedl, are less than five feet deep. This unusual terrain is often covered with dense fog, adding to the special charm of the region.

The Climate
The pannonic continental climate brings hot dry summers and very cold winters. These extremes are somewhat mitigated by the presence of the large Lake Neusiedl, creating a unique microclimate for viticulture.
During cool autumn evenings, evaporation from the numerous lakes creates heavy fog, which covers the area until mid-day when the still strong sunlight burns through. This daily change of weather is the prerequisite for the special Botrytis cinerea, a nearly annual gift of nature, which makes the production of Beerenauslese and Trockenbeerenauslese wines possible.

The Vineyards
Alois Kracher’s vineyards stretch between Illmitz and the shore of Lake Neusiedl. To the untrained eye the area will appear completely plane, but Alois Kracher points at the "mountains": undulations of a height of up to one to one and a half meters, which have considerable influence on the development of the grapes and, above all, the quality of botrytis.
Alois's father, Alois Kracher sen., is in charge of vineyard management. The vineyards are planted at high densities in order to "stress" the vines, thus producing lower quantities at elevated concentrations. Traditional grape varieties include Welschriesling, Chardonnay, Traminer, Weißburgunder and Sämling 88 (Scheurebe).

Alois Kracher
In 1981 Alois Kracher took over from his father, Alois Kracher Sr. Critics remained skeptical about the talents of young Alois, who kept saying that the Seewinkel wines would be among the world´s best sweet wines one day. 1991 was perhaps this century’s most outstanding vintage for sweet wine in Austria. This vintage represented a coming of age for Mr. Kracher in Austria as well as abroad. Mr. Kracher, by now 43 years old, decided to quit his full time job and to dedicate himself exclusively to the production of his wines. Today he can certainly be regarded as one of the world´s greatest dessert wine makers. Although he has received much recognition internationally, including the Wine Magazine´s awards of Winemaker of the Year in 1994, 1997, 1998, 2000 and 2001 he remains realistic and attributes much of his success to the quality of the vineyards, the special climate and to the good fortune of having had the privilege to learn from his father.

Vinification
Alois Kracher has chosen two vinification methods for his sweet wines. The classic sweet wines of the region are slowly fermented in stainless steel. With these wines, which are labeled "Zwischen den Seen" (between the lakes), Alois Kracher aims to focus on freshness and fruit. By contrast, the "Nouvelle Vague" series is vinified and aged in new oak barrels. Both categories are mostly varietal wines.

The Labels
Alois Kracher’s top-of-the-range products bear golden labels. Since Alois Kracher harvests and vinifies his grapes in several small batches, he strives to preserve the distinctive characters of each wine in the bottle. Thus, fifteen different Trockenbeerenausleses were produced in 1995, four alone of the variety Welschriesling. In order to distinguish between the wines, Alois started numbering his wines in their order of concentration: the more concentrated a wine, the higher its number. At the same time, also the number of years it takes for a wine to reach its climax has increased. Within this numbering scheme, the wine that Alois considers to have a perfect balance between density and finesse is labeled "Grande Cuvée”.


Ratings, awards and recognitions

Falstaff Weinguide 2003/2004
2000 Traminer TBA NV No.1 91 p.
2000 Muscat Ottonel TBA ZDS No.2 91 p.
2000 Chardonnay TBA NV No.3 90 p.
2000 Welschriesling TBA ZDS No.4 93p.
2000 Scheurebe TBA ZDS No.5 93p.
2000 Grande Cuvée TBA NV No.6 93p.
2000 Chardonnay TBA NV No.7 92p.
2000 Welschriesling TBA ZDS No. 8 95p.
2000 Scheurebe TBA ZDS No.9 95p.
2000 Welschriesling TBA ZDS No.10 94p.

Wine Spectator Online, May 2003
2000 Traminer TBA NV No.1 90 p.
2000 Muscat Ottonel TBA ZDS No.2 91 p.
2000 Chardonnay TBA NV No.3 95p.
2000 Welschriesling TBA ZDS No.4 94p.
2000 Scheurebe TBA ZDS No.5 91p.
2000 Grande Cuvée TBA NV No.6 93p.
2000 Chardonnay TBA NV No.7 97p.
2000 Welschriesling TBA ZDS No. 8 95p.
2000 Scheurebe TBA ZDS No.9 95p.
2000 Welschriesling TBA ZDS No.10 95p.

NEWS, December 2002
The Magazine NEWS has once again totalled the wine estate rankings made by the five wine guides, then divided these rankings in order to reach „Austria´s 100 Best Wine Estates“. And this year, Alois Kracher has taken the top position – the third time he has been awarded this spot. Following him are F.X. Pichler, Franz Hirtzberger, Emmerich Knoll and Ernst Triebaumer.

The Wine Advocate, June 2002
Robert Parker´s Tasting Notes:
1999 Pinot Noir/Zweigelt TBA NV No.1 88 p.
1999 Traminer TBA NV No.2 93 p.
1999 Chardonnay/Welschriesling TBA NV No.3 90+ p.
1999 Muskat Ottonel TBA ZDS No.4 95 p.
1999 Scheurebe TBA ZDS No.5 95 p.
1999 Grande Cuvée TBA NV No.6 96 p.
1999 Chardonnay TBA NV No.7 96+ p.
1999 Welschriesling TBA ZDS No.8 96 p.
1999 Scheurebe TBA ZDS No.9 98+ p.
1999 Welschriesling TBA NV No.10 98+ p.

Falstaff Weinguide 2002/2003
Austria´s best sweet wine 2002:
1999 Welschriesling TBA ZDS No.8 99 p.
Great ratings for the 1999 Collection:
1999 Welschriesling TBA NV No.10 98 p.
1999 Grande Cuvée TBA NV No.6 97 p.
1999 Scheurebe TBA ZDS No.9 96 p.
1999 Muskat Ottonel TBA ZDS No.4 95 p.
1999 Pinot Noir/Zweigelt TBA NV No.1 94 p.
1999 Traminer TBA NV No.2 93 p.
1999 Scheurebe TBA ZDS No.5 92 p.
1999 Chardonnay/Welschriesling TBA NV No.3 90 p.
1999 Chardonnay TBA NV No.7 90 p.

The Wine Advocate, February 28th 2002
As for the sweet wines, Manfred Krankl, an Austrian by birth, has joined forces with Austria´s most famous sweet wine producer, Alois Kracher, to produce limited quantities of stunning Eisweins and Vin de Pailles.
They are all tour de forces in sweet winemaking, with remarkable concentration and intensity as well as striking underlying aciditiy (Robert Parker).
1998 Mr. K. Viognier TBA 96p.
1998 Mr. K. Semillon Vin de Paille (Strohwein) 99p.
1999 Mr. K. Vignier Eiswein 92-94p.
1999 Mr. K. Semillon Vin de Paille 98-100p.

Wine Challenge, London, September 2001.
„Sweet Wine Maker of the Year 2001“
„Len Evans Award“ for top quality constant work over a period of five years!
Gold medal: 1998 TBA Chardonnay/Welschriesling No. 7

The Vine 2001, Clive Coates MW,
(An Extract from the Vine)
Super-Star of the Burgenland! – Alois Kracher
1998 Zweigelt Rosé TBA, Nouvelle Vague No.1 16p.
1998 Chardonnay TBA, Nouvelle Vague No.2 20p.
1998 Scheurebe TBA, Zwischen den Seen No.3 12,5p.
1998 Welschriesling TBA, Nouvelle Vague No.4 20p.
1998 Muskat-Ottonel TBA, Zwischen den Seen No.5 18p.
1998 Welschriesling TBA, Zwischen den Seen No.6 18p.
1998 Chardonnay/Welschriesling TBA, Nouvelle Vague No.7
1998 Traminer TBA, Nouvelle Vague No.8 20p.
1998 Chardonnay TBA, Nouvelle Vague No.9 18p.
1998 Grande Cuvée TBA, Nouvelle Vague No.10 20p.
1998 Welschriesling TBA, Zwischen den Seen No.11
1998 Scheurebe TBA, Zwischen den Seen No.12 18p.
1998 Chardonnay TBA, Nouvelle Vague No.13 20p.

The Wine Advocate, June 2001
Robert Parker´s Tasting Notes
1998 Zweigelt Rosé TBA, Nouvelle Vague No.1 92p.
1998 Chardonnay TBA, Nouvelle Vague No.2 93p.
1998 Scheurebe TBA, Zwischen den Seen No.3 95p.
1998 Welschriesling TBA, Nouvelle Vague No.4 95p.
1998 Muskat-Ottonel TBA, Zwischen den Seen No.5 96p.
1998 Welschriesling TBA, Zwischen den Seen No.6 92p.
1998 Chardonnay/Welschriesling TBA, Nouvelle Vague No.7 94p.
1998 Traminer TBA, Nouvelle Vague No.8 93p.
1998 Chardonnay TBA, Nouvelle Vague No.9 96p.
1998 Grande Cuvée TBA, Nouvelle Vague No.10 94p.
1998 Welschriesling TBA, Zwischen den Seen No.96
1998 Scheurebe TBA, Zwischen den Seen No.12 93p.
1998 Chardonnay TBA, Nouvelle Vague No.13 98p.

The Wine Spectator, June 2001
1998 Zweigelt Rosé TBA, Nouvelle Vague No.1 89p.
1998 Chardonnay TBA, Nouvelle Vague No.2 91p.
1998 Scheurebe TBA, Zwischen den Seen No.3 91p.
1998 Welschriesling TBA, Nouvelle Vague No.4 94p.
1998 Muskat-Ottonel TBA, Zwischen den Seen No.5 92p.
1998 Welschriesling TBA, Zwischen den Seen No.6 93p.
1998 Chardonnay/Welschriesling TBA, Nouvelle Vague No.7 92p.
1998 Traminer TBA, Nouvelle Vague No.8 94p.
1998 Chardonnay TBA, Nouvelle Vague No.9 958p.
1998 Grande Cuvée TBA, Nouvelle Vague No.10 98p.
1998 Welschriesling TBA, Zwischen den Seen No.11 96p.
1998 Scheurebe TBA, Zwischen den Seen No.12 95p.
1998 Chardonnay TBA, Nouvelle Vague No.13 97p.

The Wine Spectator, March 2001
Bruce Sanderson´s Top-Scoring Wines from Austria:
Dessert – Alois Kracher
1997 Chardonnay Beerenauslese Neusiedlersee Nouvelle Vague No. 6 94p.
1997 Muscat Ottonel Beerenauslese Neusiedlersee Nouvelle Vague No. 5 92p.
1997 Bouvier Beerenauslese Neusiedlersee Nouvelle Vague No. 2 91p.

The Wine Advocate, Pierre-Antoine Rovani,
October 2000
Austria: Recommended new releases!
Alois Kracher
1998 Beerenauslese Cuvée 87+ p.
1997 Bouvier Beerenauslese No.2 Zwischen den Seen 91p.
1997 Chardonnay Beerenauslese No. 6 Nouvelle Vague 91p.
1997 Muskat Ottonel Beerenauslese No. 1 Zwischen den Seen 92p.
1997 Muskat Ottonel Beerenauslese No. 5 Zwischen den Seen 94p.
1997 Scheurebe Beerenauslese No.3 Zwischen den Seen 92+ p.
1997 Welschriesling Trockenbeerenauslese No. 7 Zwischen den Seen 94+ p.
1997 Zweigelt Rosé Beerenauslese No. 4 Nouvelle Vague 91 p.

„Sweet Wine Maker of the Year“
Alois Kracher´s wines have become hot property, not least because of this self confessed Austrian wine freak, White Wine Maker of the Year in 1994, then Late Harvest Wine Maker of the Year in 1997 and 1998, is the master of the oozingly sweet and luscious botrytis wine.
WINE, Anthony Rose, October 2000

Wine Spectator, February 1999.
Top-scoring among Austria´s best sweet wines:
1. Chardonnay TBA Neusiedlersee Nouvelle Vague No. 8 1996 (93 points);
2. Welschriesling TBA Neusiedlersee Zwischen den Seen No. 15 1995 (93 points);
3. Welschriesling TBA Neusiedlersee Zwischen den Seen No. 9 1996 (91 points);

Wine Spectator, December 1998.
Kracher´s Chardonnay TBA Nr. 13 1995 scores 98 points and is rated no. 2 in the category of the world´s ten best dessert wines;

Wine Challenge, London, September 1998.
Late Harvest Wine Maker of the Year;

Wine Advocate, April 1998.
Robert Parker awards 1.424 points to 15 1995 TBAs;

Wine Spectator, February 1998.
Top-scoring for Kracher among Austria´s best wines: Chardonnay TBA Neusiedlersee Nouvelle Vague No. 13 1995 (98 points); Chardonnay-Welschriesling TBA Neusiedlersee Nouvelle Vague No. 7 1995 (97 points); Welschriesling TBA Neusiedlersee Zwischen den Seen No. 2. 1995 (96 points); Muscat Ottonel TBA Neusiedlersee Zwischen den Seen No. 11 1995 (93 points); Muscat Ottonel TBA Neusiedlersee Zwischen den Seen No. 5 1995 (93 points);

At Hardy Rodenstock´s Cheval blanc Festival,
13 December 1997: Kracher´s Traminer Beeren-auslese 1989 and his Traminer Trockenbeerenauslese 1995;

VI Hamburger Wein Salon (Germany), September 1997.
„Grand Prix d’ Excellence“ for the best collection of the year (vintage 1995);

Wine Challenge, London, May 1997.
Gold medals for: Scheurebe TBA Zwischen den Seen 1995, Welschriesling Zwischen den Seen 1995 and Trophy „Late Harvest Wine Maker of the Year“;

V Hamburger Wein Salon (Germany),
February 1997.
„Grands Prix d’ Honneur“ five times, nominated for the title „Collection of the year“, which will be awarded at the Wein Salon in autumn 1997;

Feinschmecker Magazine, January 1997.
Beerenauslese 1994 Grande Cuvée amongst the world’s best 100 wines;

Austria’s winemaker no.1 out of Austria´s 100 best winemakers, according to the 1996 ranking of the Austrian weekly magazine NEWS;

International Verdict

„The Alchemist“
The man who turns mould into gold!
Decanter, Tim Atkin, August 2000

„If you think Burgenland is a restaurant at Disney World´s food court, it´s not – it´s one of Austria´s four wine regions and the source of some of the best red wines and world-class dessert wines“. The wunderkind in the latter category, Alois Kracher, recently released his range of beerenauslese and trockenbeerenauslesen.
Highly recommended:
- Chardonnay Beerenauslese Neusiedlersee
Nouvelle Vague No. 6 1997 (94 p.)
- Muscat Ottonel Beerenauslese Neusidlersee
Nouvelle Vague No. 5 1997 (92 p.)
- Bourvier Beerenauslese Neusiedlersee
Nouvelle Vague No. 2 1997 (91 p.)
- Zweigelt Neusiedlersee Nouvelle Vague No. 4 1997 (90 p.)
- Welschriesling Trockenbeerenauslese
Neusiedlersee Nouvelle Vague No. 7 1997 (90 p.)
- Scheurebe Beerenauslese Neusiedlersee
Nouvelle Vague No 3 1997 (90 p.)
- Muscat Ottonel Beerenauslese Neusiedlersee
Nouvelle Vague No. 1 1997 (89 p.)
Bruce Sanderson, Wine Spectator, May 2000

The exclusiveness of the Kracher Grand Cru is the perfect co-operation between cheese maker and wine maker!
Karin Oehmigen, Sonntags Zeitung, 26. März 2000

One of Elaine and Manfred Krankls new projects ist to produce outrageously rich and decadent sweet wines (or they call them „stickies“) from botrytis viognier and semillon. There are two 98s in the cellar produced with an informal partnership they have with the famed Austrian winemaker Alois Kracher. The 98 Viognier was spectacular but the 98 Semillon which was pressed with 57 Brix (unheared of) could turn out to be one of the most remarkable sweet „stickies“ ever made in California, if not on planet earth! The Wine Advocate, Robert M. Parker, 28/02/2000

The final was a dessert wine, a 1997 beerenauslese riesling from Alois Kracher, a producer from the Burgenland on the Neusiedler See with a reputation for making great late-harvest sweet wines. While no match for the best German beerenausleses, this was a wine of considerable power, with plenty of acid to balance its natural sweetness.
Frank J. Prial, New York Times, 11/24/99

„ Kracher´s success is remarkable because of his extraordinary products like Eiswein, Beerenauslese and Trockenbeerenauslese. All sweet wines, which taste delicious – even those people who do not prefer sweets!
Jens Priewe, Essen & Trinken Nr. 8, 28.7.1999

„Cheese with wine-flavour“
The Austrian Alois Kracher is well-known for its excellent sweet wines. „Kracher Grand Cru“
is a blue cheese refined with one of Krachers beerenauslesen.
Der Feinschmecker, Juni 1999

„Yes, the same Alois Kracher that fashions mind-blowing sweet wines also produces a delicious dry white. The 1996 Chardonnay / Welschriesling Days of Wine and Roses‘ offers Earl Grey tea aromas and an extremely well-made, light-to-medium-bodied, and well-delineated character with flavors reminiscent of potpourri and red currants. [...] 1997 Chardonnay / Welschriesling Days of Wine and Roses‘ displays an expressive, exciting, lively, and beguiling nose of white flowers, sea shells, and butter-cream cake icing.
Pierre-Antoine Rovani, The Wine Advocate.
June 1998

„A few years ago, Alois Kracher burst into my life like an air-raid siren during a peaceful nap. His 1991’s shattered all my preconceptions about sweet wines. [...] 1995 is the finest vintage for sweet wines both Krachers have ever witnessed in the Neusiedlersee, permitting the younger Kracher to fashion an unprecedented number of trockenbeerenausleses. I was permitted to taste all fifteen of Kracher’s mindboggling ’95 trockenbeerenausleses twice. [...] While each wine is distinctly different they are all opulent. Luscious, unctuous, thick, highly concentrated, extracted, full-bodied, extremely botrytised, and amazingly long. Most important, each wine is outstanding in its own right.“
Pierre-Antoine Rovani, The Wine Advocate.
April 1998

„Serious, and with more cellaring potential, is Kracher´s extraordinary series of Trockenbeerenauslesen – all 15 of them, numbered in ascending order of richness. The classically made No. 15, Welschriesling zwischen den Seen [...] is an extraordinary, apparently life-giving grape extract. No. 13, Chardonnay Nouvelle Vague, [...] an enormous wine fermented in new oak.“
Jancis Robinson, Financial Times. Jan. 3, 1998
„Kracher has crafted some of the most extra-ordinary sweet wines I have ever put to my lips. Planted along the banks of the Neusiedlersee in eastern Austria and produced from a range of varietals, Kracher´s wines have as much intensity, depth, concentration, balance and ageworthiness as any sweet wine I have ever encountered. In the 1995 vintage, Kracher was able to hit 15 straight home runs with the 15 different TBAs he produced. My scores ranged from a low of 92 to a high of 98 in two separate tastings of all 15 of his truly outstanding wines.“
Pierre-Antoine Rovani, The Wine Advocate.
December 1997

“I recently tasted several of the most astonishing dessert wines I have ever encountered and they didn`t come from the legendary areas of production, Bordeaux´s Sauternes region or the Rhine or Mosel valleys in Germany....The wines that knocked me out were made by Weinlaubenhof Kracher, a family winery that owns about 18_ acres of vines near the village of Illmitz”.
Frederic Koeppel, Memphis Commercial Appeal.
October 1996

„It is not just the combination of pure ripe flavors, silky richness and great elegance of his wines that has made Kracher such a big hit with the world’s dessert wine fanciers. A gregarious personality that seems to have no problem switching from the rural countryside of Illmitz to the frenetic bustle of midtown Manhattan has won him many friends.“
Stuart Pigott, Los Angeles Times.
August 1, 1996

„The Chardonnay / Welschriesling BA 1994 is a classic proof of Austrian Burgenland’s ability to harvest lots of beautifully botrytised grapes practically every year. This is the master winemaker’s classic grape blend.“
Jancis Robinson, Financial Times.
July 13, 1996

„The forceful Herr Kracher, obsessed by wine and tireless in promoting his own, has transformed a typical small Illmitz property into one of the world’s great estates for sweet wine.“
Stephen Brook, Decanter.
May 1996

„For Alois Kracher, who is probably the leading producer of dessert wine in Austria, Welschriesling plays the same role as Sauvignon providing the finesse in Sauternes, while Chardonnay and Pinot Blanc, or Weissburgunder, give the concentration of Semillon.“
Rosemary George, MW, Decanter, May 1996

„The sweet wine star is Luis Kracher. Luis makes an extraordinary range of wines from the delicately off-dry Scheurebe and Traminer wines to the most luscious whites conceivable, made from Bouvier, Chardonnay, Scheurebe, Traminer and Welschriesling, vinified either solo or in combination.“
Charles Metcalfe, Wine. May 1996

„Today, Alois Kracher is rightly the region’s and Austria’s most famous dessert wine producer. His wines in both the Sauternes style (Nouvelle Vague) and Germanic style (Zwischen den Seen) have repeatedly stood up to the toughest competition from France and Germany in blind tastings. What makes them stand up is their impeccable balance and refinement.“
Stuart Pigott, Decanter.
May 1996

„Kracher’s wines offer a hint that this part of Austria has the potential to produce world-class dessert wines. Three of Kracher’s wines rated outstandig. His Chardonnay-Welschriesling BA 1991 was the highest-scoring sweet wine of our tasting.“
Stuart Pigott, Wine Spectator.
November 1995

„While Kracher’s botrytis wines are far from cheap, they can stand comparison with the best sweet wines from France and Germany. Increasingly, they are appearing on the lists of discerning American restaurants from coast to coast.“
Stephen Tanzer, International Wine Cellar.
September 1995

„This is where Alois Kracher makes some of the world’s greatest nobly sweet wines.“
Giles MacDonogh, Decanter. November 1994

„I left the building with the conviction that Alois Kracher was perfectly sane, and that Château d’Yquem must look to its laurels. A view supported by the succes of his wines in the Challenge this year, and his well-deserved nomination as White Winemaker of the Year.“
Giles MacDonogh, Wine. October 1994
„... is Illmitz, where Alois Kracher has made some of Burgenland’s most award-winning sweet wines.“
Tom O’Toole, Wine. August 1994

„Alois Kracher is one of the most respected winemakers of Austria’s Burgenland, a hugely successful area for botrytized grapes around the marshy Neusiedler See on the Hungarian border that is under-appreciated outside Austria...“
Jancis Robinson, Wine Spectator.
March 15, 1994

Buying Guide of the magazine Wine Enthusiast, Oct. 1996. Highest notes in the category dessert wines;

„Culture et Goût“ Tasting 1996, France.
Highest note: his Chardonnay Trockenbeeren-auslese 1994 Nouvelle Vague scored 19,5 points ex aequo with Château d`Yquem;

IV Hamburger Wein Salon (Germany),
February 1996.
„Grands Prix“ three times, „Grand Prix d´Honneur“ once and „Trophée d´Honneur“ for the best collection of the year;
World Championships 1995,
Wine & Spirits Magazine.
Platin medal and title of „Austrian Dessert Wine Champion“ for the Beerenauslese Grande Cuvée 1991;

Vinexpo Bordeaux 1995.
„Grand Prix d´Honneur“ for the Beerenauslese
Grande Cuvée 1991;

III Hamburger Wein Salon (Germany),
February 1995.
„Grands Prix d´Honneur“ three times,
„Grands Prix“ twice;

Wine Magazine.
Winemaker of the year 1994;

Wine Challenge, London, 17- 19 May 1994.
20 medals in total: gold for Welschriesling Beerenauslese 1981, Sämling Beerenauslese 1987, Nouvelle Vague Beerenauslese 1992 (Chardonnay x Welschriesling).


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