Niki and his daughter Kathi Moser are active on several fronts. First and foremost, of course, in Rohrendorf in the Kremstal, where the family estate is located and where the vines for their brilliant Grüner Veltliners (Minimal, Fundamental), Sauvignon Blanc (Diagonal), and Pinot Noir (Ried Gebling) grow.
For historical reasons, however, they also own vineyards in Apetlon, Burgenland, around 160 kilometers from Rohrendorf. The conditions could hardly be more different: instead of terraced sites at up to 300 meters, here it is flat land at just above 100 meters (we are close to the lowest point in Austria); instead of loess, the vines root in lime-rich black soil; instead of cool winds, there are an abundance of sunshine hours; and instead of Grüner Veltliner, the rare Muscat Ottonel is planted.
What remains constant is the hallmark of the Moser estate: in short, biodynamic viticulture, meticulous hand-harvesting, spontaneous fermentation, long maturation in large wooden casks, no fining and no filtration — and in the case of Astral, no addition of sulfur dioxide either.
The result is aromatic, floral, and exotic; grippy, focused, light-footed, vibrant, precise, and open — making it one of the very few (the only?) dry versions of Muscat Ottonel that you should try. (It may sound unusual, but Wiener Schnitzel proves to be an excellent culinary partner for it.)
Data Sheet
- Grape Variety: Muscat Ottonel
- Vineyard: Hollabern, Apetlon; Loose-sandy, quartz-rich gravel with carbonate components (limestone, dolomite), covered with calcareous black soil
- Harvest: By hand
- Fermentation: Spontaneous fermentation in a 2,500-liter oak barrel
- Aging: Aged for 15 months on full lees, followed by 1 month on fine lees; bottled directly from the fine lees in May 2024
- Filtration: No
- SO₂: Unsulfured
- Alcohol: 11.5%
- Closure: Natural cork
- Serving Temperature: 10-12°C
- Optimal Drinking Maturity: From now until 2030
- Volume and Price per Liter: 0.75 l (€22.37/l)
Maxim: All vintners listed at Vinonudo work in their vineyards with compost, organic fertilizers, and natural preparations, and refrain from using herbicides, pesticides, and synthetic fertilizers.
