Kracher Eiswein 375ml 2020

Ice Wine (Eiswein) is made from grapes frozen on the vine. For best results the grapes need to be hard frozen at temperatures of -8C or less, which makes waiting for a suitable cold snap very risky.

The aim with Ice Wine is to produce a wine with all the power and sweetness of a Beerenauslese or a Trockenbeerenauslese, but without the influence of botrytis (though occasionally some botrytis can occur).

The fruit is hand-picked and whole-bunch pressed while frozen, so that the ice (water) is removed, thus dramatically increasing the concentration of sugars and flavours in the grape. The pressed juice is fermented and matured in stainless steel tank for 24 months.

Clean and bright, this isn’t on the heavy or unctuous side, but it lingers nicely, the finish laced with pineapple and peach nuances. It is pretty delicious, the lifted fruit all the more appealing because the wine is so fresh. As it warms, it shows gentle tension on the finish. The balance makes it easy to drink and hard to resist. These tend to age well, but this obviously has little track record. Serve with crme brle, pancake with apricot jam, blue cheese.