Producer: Schiechtl
Wine: Pinot Blanc TBA
Vintage: 2001
Country: Austria
Appellation: Neusiedlersee
Wine Type: Dessert
Varietal: Pinot Blanc
Grade: A-
Designation: Excellent Value
Price: $20

Fantastic value!

Neusiedlersee (noy-zeed-lur-zay) is located in eastern Austria, home for the country's best sweet wines. TBA, short for Trockenbeerenauslese, literally means dry selected berries and are hand-selected grapes shriveled and dried by botrytis (noble rot) producing what many oenophiles call liquid gold. Produced only during exceptional vintages, they are not cheap, but in most cases worth every penny. While labeled Pinot Blanc, the grape is known as Weissburgunder in Austria, and reaches its greatest heights in its botrytized TBA form.

Golden amber in color and highly aromatic, an inviting bouquet of honeyed pineapple, brown sugar, raisin and hazelnut jump from the glass. Pure and ultra-rich, the wine is extremely impressive and a steal at $20. Still very young, the wine has all the essential components to last a lifetime, well, at least a good 10 to 20 years.

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