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Anthony Gismondi on Wine
Gut Oggau Josephinetext
90POINTS
16½/20

Gut Oggau Josephine 2013

Bergland Österreich, AustriaGut Oggau is one of the exciting darlings of the natural wine movement. Based in the small town of Oggau in Burgenland, Austria, the project was started by Eduard and Stephanie Tscheppe in 2007. The couple took over a 17th century winery that had been abandoned for 20 years, renovated it (including its 200-year-old screw press), and renewed the vineyards, which had benefitted from two decades' life chemical-free. They practice biodynamically, and are Demeter certified. Each of their small-lot wines have a distinct personality, so they've come up with an entire family tree of intertwining stories and characters, faced with striking label sketches by local artist Jung von Matt. The labels depict the human face of each wine, and remarkably, each ages and matures with each vintage. Josephine is an unconventional woman of the more mature generation, Timotheus’s second wife and Winifred’s stepmother. This is a blend of 35 year old, lower south facing gravel-sloping Blaufrankish and Roesler, fermented in used 500, 1000 and 1500-liter barrels before eight months' quiet rest in 500-liter barrels. The wine is bottled unfined, unfiltered, and with zero addition of sulfur. Deeper hued and darker fruited, with brooding mulberry, sweet cassis, spicing, and cracked cloves. Though the palate is mouthfilling, it has a lift and impression of brightness. There is some forest floor and earthy funk lingering beneath the berry fruit. Tannins are fine, firm and secondary. Contemplative and serious, while easy to drink.Tasted: 13 June 2018Tasted by: Treve RingPrices:
BC$67.00750mlprivate wine stores
Producer: Gut OggauDistributors: Lifford Wine and Spirits
Blend: Blaufränkisch - Zweigelt - RoeslerCSPC: 131431