Loimer – gluegglich weiß

The Loimer gluegglich weiß is a superb natural wine, a white cuvée of Grüner Veltliner, Riesling, Chardonnay, Zierfandler, Pinot Blanc, Sauvignon Blanc, Rotgipfler, Gemischter Satz, Muskateller, Pinot Gris, Welschriesling, Traminer, and Scheurebe.

On the nose, the gluegglich from Weingut Fred Loimer smells of ripe yellow fruits, apple cake with cinnamon, a little rosy, like an India Pale Ale. On the palate, this cuvée from the Austrian wine region presents a challenging, enormously thirst-quenching acidity, bone-dry, light-footed alcohol with a long, salty finish. A natural wine with a chalky texture and a salty aftertaste that is sure to polarize, yet when served chilled, it is a versatile food companion.

Winemaking with Respect

The grapes for the Loimer gluegglich come from biodynamically cultivated vineyards in Gumpoldskirchen at 240-270 meters above sea level, where they benefit from the Pannonian climate with hot summers and dry autumns, and grapes from the Kamptal. The up to 85-year-old vines grow on clayey sedimentary soils interspersed with chalk gravel. The harvest was naturally done by hand, selectively in small 20kg boxes. However, not just in one year, but in five: 3% of the gluegglich comes from 2017, 7% from 2018, 10% from 2019, 20% from 2020, and 60% from the 2021 harvest. According to Austrian wine law, a wine from different vintages may "only" be called a Landwein (country wine). But this did not stop Fred from creating a cuvée with reserve wines, a long-standing tradition in Champagne. The hand-picked grapes were partly destemmed, partly pressed as whole bunches, spontaneously fermented partly on the skins in oak barrels, then aged for 4 months on the full lees and for varying lengths of time on the fine lees, up to 3 years for the reserve wines. Bottled without filtration or fining. Fred Loimer gluegglich is a Landwein with 11.5% alcohol, made from 12 grape varieties, from 5 years, by an exceptional winemaker!

Fred Loimer says about his wine: "The Habsburgs (Austria's rulers) pursued a successful marriage policy, which is quoted in a famous saying: 'Bella gerant alii, tu felix Austria nube.' – 'Let others wage war, you, fortunate Austria, marry.' During this time, winemaking was a very natural affair. The grapes were already mashed in the vineyard. After that, it took time until they were slowly pressed in the tree press. Subsequently, the wine with all its sediments was spontaneously fermented in wooden barrels and left on the full lees until the next spring. Completely dry and after malolactic fermentation, it was racked for the first time and sulfured in late spring. Varieties only played a role in the vineyard; they were old 'Austrians.' For marketing, they were insignificant. The vintage was also insignificant; vintages were blended for quality assurance. Unfined and unfiltered. Racking, sulfuring, and 'fining' with fresh yeast was the technology available. This wine was created in the tradition of the 19th century with today's knowledge. Biodynamic, of course, but that too was common in a modified form back then." It would be difficult to describe the gluegglich better.

Loimer gluegglich – a wine and its values

• Origin Wine from Austria
• Natural wine cuvée from 5 vintages
• 24% Grüner Veltliner, 18% Riesling, 14% Chardonnay, 9% Zierfandler, 9% Pinot Blanc, 6% Sauvignon Blanc, 4% Rotgipfler, 4% Gemischter Satz, 4% Muskateller, 3% Pinot Gris, 2% Welschriesling, 2% Traminer, 1% Scheurebe
• 11.5% vol. Alcohol
• 5.7 g/l Acidity
• 1.0 g/l Residual sugar
• 23 mg/l Total SO2
• Vegan

Organic Control Body AT-BIO-402 – Austrian Agriculture