Gumpold Chardonnay 2017 – Loimer

The Chardonnay comes from the thermal region south of Vienna, more precisely from the vineyard Brindlbach in Gumpoldskirchen. The grapes come from vineyards of the former Schellmann winery, whose old vines stand on stony and poor, partly also on heavy loamy soils. Essentially, the soils are limestone gravel and brown earth with lime in the subsoil.

After selective hand-harvesting in 20-kilo crates in mid-September 2017, there was a twelve-hour cool maceration period before the grapes were spontaneously fermented in 300-litre oak barrels. Fermentation lasted four weeks at a maximum of 25°C. The wine was aged in the same barrels on the full lees for twelve months, then again on the fine lees in stainless steel for nine months. The wine was bottled in the middle of 2019.
 

medium straw yellow

Elegant and fine shows the 2017 Gumpold Chardonnay in the fragrance. Here, an aroma of red and yellow apple as well as a crisp pear combines with pure blue and a little young pineapple, a fine hint of chamomile, jasmine, smoke, caramel and wood to a very complete and sensual whole.

This sensuality, this balance of fruit, acidity and structure, becomes particularly evident on the palate, where the Gumpold taut and lively, but still finesse-rich and complex shows. Tart and fresh is the yellow fruit of pineapple and citrus, somewhat warmer and creamier that fruit of ripe stone and pome fruit. The palate also shows a hint of tannin and a salty minerality as well as some herbal tartness. There is a lot of juice and a lot of potential in this wine.