Kracher Cuvée Beerenauslese 2021, Neusiedlersee, Burgenland, 375ml

Kracher Cuvée Beerenauslese is a noble sweet wine from Weingut Kracher in Illmitz, on the eastern shore of Lake Neusiedl in Austria’s Burgenland. It is a blend based on Welschriesling and Chardonnay, grown in the Seewinkel, where autumn mists rising from the lake and surrounding meadows, followed by strong sunshine, encourage botrytis, or noble rot. The botrytis shrivels the grapes and concentrates their sugar and flavour, and only these berries are selected for Beerenauslese. The result is a lusciously sweet wine of just 11% alcohol.

In the glass it is an intense golden yellow with silvery glints. The nose shows a clear botrytis spice, with ripe apricot, greengage, pineapple, candied orange peel and a hint of caramel. The palate is full-bodied, lush and juicy yet elegant, with white peach, well-integrated sweetness and fine, fresh acidity, finishing with a light note of honey.

Serve chilled, at around 8–10°C, in small glasses. It is wonderful with foie gras or pâté, blue cheeses such as Roquefort, and fruit desserts like apricot tart, peach desserts or crème brûlée. This half bottle is delicious now, and its balance of sweetness and acidity gives it the structure to age gracefully for many years.

Weingut Kracher is a family estate in Illmitz, in the Seewinkel on the eastern shore of Lake Neusiedl in Burgenland, where autumn mists rising from the lake and its meadows create ideal conditions for noble rot. The winery was founded in 1959 by Alois Kracher senior, an early pioneer of botrytis sweet wines in the region. His son, Alois ‘Luis’ Kracher, a trained chemist, developed a style built on fruit, finesse and balance rather than sweetness alone, and the 1991 vintage brought the estate international acclaim. Gerhard Kracher worked alongside his father from 2001 and has run the estate since 2007. The family farms around 57 hectares between Illmitz and the lake, with Welschriesling, Chardonnay, Traminer, Muskat-Ottonel, Scheurebe and Zweigelt among the main varieties.