Barbara Öhlzelt is turning the region’s paradigm completely on its head. Instead of the unctuous, powerful and masculine wines of the famous large estates, Barbara’s wines emphasize focus and a quiet, simmering intensity.
They are fine, clearly delineated, precisely-etched renditions of Grüner Veltliner and Riesling with just as much depth and persistence as the big boys, but on a lighter, more refreshing frame.
Loaded with mouth-watering acidity and the alcohol levels are carefully restrained. Barbara is soft-spoken but intense; the wines are not unlike their shepherd. These are racy, delicate wines of purity and energy, and are exactly what the next chapter in the story of Austrian wine should be.
The heart of Barbara’s estate is the Kogelberg—a single vineyard site on a broad spur of the high Waldviertel plateau sloping southeast towards the Zöbing village. These are among the oldest vines Barbara farms: 60-year-old vines planted so narrowly that no tractors nor machines can be used in her parcels here.
And High Praise from our beloved importer, "For me, this is simply Barbara’s greatest Riesling and one of the top wines of the Kamptal and beyond. This is the wine you can put on the table next to Alzinger’s Steinertal or Knoll’s Kellerberg. The minerality is bass-toned and mysterious yet the overall feel here is green and blue, ultra-cool tones, Meyer lemon and lime zest, ultra-concentrated orange oils, bitter dark green forest notes. This wine is a masterpiece, honestly."
