Langenlois Grosse Reserve Blanc de Blancs Brut Nature 2014
A matured premium sparkling wine from the Kamptal, which impresses after more than 90 months on the lees with salty minerality, brioche notes and a purist zero-dosage style.
Bottler: Fred Loimer Winery, Haindorfer Vögerlweg 23, A-3550 Langenlois / Austria
In the glass
Colour
Intense lemon yellow with golden and green reflections, very fine, active mousse.
Nose
Soft yellow fruit on a warm pastry base – mirabelle, peach, tarte Tatin, with pineapple and mango in the background; warm brioche with salted butter meets lime and lemon zest, sea spray, oyster shell, wet chalk and stone.
Palate
Warm fruit and powerful yeasty creaminess with a long finish, underpinned by vibrant minerality and cool elegance; not opulent, but complex and lingering, with almond and hazelnut notes on the aftertaste.
Character
A mature, multi-layered Blanc de Blancs with a purist Brut Nature style – bridging the gap between yeasty warmth and cool, saline precision.
Pairing
Pan-fried turbot with kohlrabi and beurre blanc, lemon chicken with tajine and couscous, or braised rabbit with a herb and vegetable gratin.
Notes
Méthode traditionnelle with at least 90 months on the lees and disgorgement without dosage; Gault&Millau Sparkling Wine of the Year 2023 – from biodynamic pioneer Fred Loimer (co-founder of respekt-BIODYN) in the Kamptal.
Tasting note
Colour & appearance
Intense lemon yellow with golden and green reflections. Accompanied by a very fine, lively bead that forms an even, delicate mousse – the visible sign of extended lees ageing.
Nose
An aromatic profile that speaks of many years on the lees: soft yellow fruit atop a warm pastry base, mirabelle, peach and a hint of Tarte Tatin, with pineapple and mango lurking discreetly behind. Warm brioche with salted butter meets fresh counterpoints – lemon and lime zest, sea spray, oyster shell, wet chalk and cool stone. Ripeness and freshness are impressively balanced here.
Palate
Warm, comforting fruit, then the creamy lees texture takes command with powerful pressure – and lingers for minutes. Behind it, a crystalline mineral, cool elegance builds. Not opulent, but sustained by complexity and length; almond and hazelnut shape the finish. Zero dosage, zero softening – purism you can taste.
Finish
Long, precise, nutty-mineral, with saline tension right to the end.
Terroir & origin
Langenlois in the Kamptal: a geological mosaic of primary rock, loess and volcanic remnants. Cool air from the Waldviertel meets Pannonian warmth – extreme temperature swings that yield intensely aromatic grapes with taut acidity. Precisely the climate that great sparkling wines require.
Grape varieties & vinification
Cuvée of Chardonnay, Pinot Blanc and Pinot Gris, harvested in September 2014. Gentle pressing yielding only 50 litres from 100 kilograms of grapes, fermentation in stainless steel, seven months on full lees, nine months on fine lees. Second fermentation according to the Méthode traditionnelle, at least 90 months on the lees, disgorged in May 2023 entirely without dosage – Brut Nature in the literal sense.
Food recommendations
A sparkling wine for the dinner table: turbot on the bone with kohlrabi and Beurre Blanc, lemon chicken with tagine and lukewarm couscous or braised rabbit with herb vegetable gratin. Also a small revelation served simply with oysters.
Special features
Crowned Sparkling Wine of the Year 2023 by Gault&Millau – and Fred Loimer’s calling card as co-founder of respekt-BIODYN, the biodynamic certification that is stricter than Demeter. A Blanc de Blancs that proves Austrian sparkling wines belong among the world’s finest.
