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Willi Opitz

Willi Opitz is a showman, of that I'm certain. Only a showman would release a special cuvée of a top wine, named Mr President, and gift it to Bill Clinton, or produce a range of wines, in this case called Silver Lake, somehow in association with the McLaren Formula One team. Perhaps this relationship reflects Willi's original training, as a mechanical engineer? And there's the matter of that CD he released a few years ago, entitled 'Sounds of Wine', a recording of the sounds of fermenting vats in his cellars. I must confess it's not one I have added to my collection.

Willi Opitz maintains a small vineyard, 8 ha in size, from which he fashions an eclectic portfolio of wines, ranging from dry to intensely sweet, utilising a multiplicity of grape varieties including Muskat Ottonel, Zweigelt, Welschriesling and Scheurebe, among many others. The sweet wines are almost unique, as not even the red varieties are excused this fate! It is also notable that the method of production includes drying on reed mats resulted in the Willi Opitz local authorities, who obviously have a sensible and pragmatic approach to such situation, adjusting the local regulations so that the exemplary wines were legally permissible under local wine laws. The most renowned wine in the range, Opitz One, is produced from Zweigelt, harvested in September, and dried on the mats for up to six months. It was just such a wine that went under a special label and was given to Bill Clinton. The Silver Lake range includes a Pinot Gris and Pinot Blanc blend, and the Zweigelt Reserve, which sees oak for up to twelve months. There are other dry cuvées in the portfolio, but it is the extensive collection of sweet wines that really electrify. Welschriesling and Scheurebe, from the Goldackerl vineyard, are the basis for many of them, but also Muskat and Gewurztraminer, right up to trockenbeerenauslese level.

As documented below I tasted a selection of Opitz wines with Maria Opitz. I'm thrilled to report that the sweet wines are all I expected them to be; intensely rich, concentrated in aroma and flavour, and in some cases quite unique. The dry wines I tasted, however, did not thrill in the same way. Although such wines seem to be well received in many quarters, I did not find the balance and level of interest that I would look for in a wine. A few of the cuvées, no doubt, are disadvantaged by their origins in the hot 2003 vintage, which even in Austria seems to have thrown out some rather low-acid whites. (13/1/06)

Contact details:
Address: St. Bartholomäusgasse 18, A-7142 Illmitz, Burgenland
Telephone: +43 (0) 2175 2084 0
Fax: +43 (0) 2175 2084 6
Internet: www.willi-opitz.at

Willi Opitz - Tasting Notes

Tasted in May 2005 with Maria Opitz. Click to locate stockists:

Willi Opitz Muskat Ottonel Trocken 2004: A very fresh nose, quite forward, presenting a very fruity-grapey Muskat nose. Fresh and simple on the palate, rather herbal too. For current drinking. Quite good. 13/20

Willi Opitz Pinot Gris Spätlese Trocken 2004: An appealing smoky-mineral nose here. Nice structured on the palate, like the nose quite mineral, with a stony-smoky character. Dry, and lacks a little texture though, but overall good. 15.5/20

Willi Opitz Pinot Noir Rosé 2004: A leafy, red fruit nose. Simple palate, notes of red fruits, made in an off-dry, quite forward, very easy style. Not the sort of rosé that has me rushing out to buy. 12.5/20

Willi Opitz Goldackerl Spätlese 2003: There is much more interest here; notes of honey, botrytis and honeycomb on the nose. Good style; showing rather too low acidity, somewhat plump, smoky and mineral, but unbalanced. 14/20

Willi Opitz Pinot Noir Classic 2003: No oak. Open, spicy fruit on the nose, with mushroom notes. Quite a rounded, mildly spiced palate, demonstrating an appealing texture. Peppery notes here too. Quite good. 14/20

Willi Opitz Saint Laurent Reserve 2004: A stainless steel fermentation, then six months in oak before going back into steel. Not bottled at the time of tasting. Fine, plump fruit on the nose, sweet and intriguing. Nice palate, sweetly ripe, structured too. This is good. 16+/20

Willi Opitz Merlot reserve 2004: This cuvée sees oak, possibly up to twelve months. Warm, plump, spicy notes on the nose, similarly warm and sweetly ripe fruit on the palate. A little weight, good texture, nicely extracted. Elements of spice and pepper. This is better. Needs 2-7 years to show its best. 16.5+/20

Willi Opitz Goldackerl Beerenauslese 2003: A blend of Welschriesling and Scheurebe. A good, fruit dominated nose. Weighty, rich and honeyed, with notes of apricot and peach. Very warm and ripe, huge texture, perhaps just lacking in detail or character. 16.5/20

Willi Opitz Muskat Ottonel Eiswein 2003: This was harvested on December 6th and 7th, 2003, at -8ºC. Typical Muskat nose, full of grapes and grapefruit. Fresh, perfumed, rose petal style, with surprisingly decent balance. I like this. Good. 17.5/20

Willi Opitz Opitz One Vin de Paille 2000: From Zweigelt grown under polytunnel, dried on reed mats for six months after harvest. Smoky, slightly raisined nose, certainly suggestive of sweetness. Great texture, with firm acidity. Raisin, nut and baked fruit flavours perfumed with rose petals. Very interesting wine. 17.5/20

Willi Opitz Weisser Schilfmandl Muskat Vin de Paille 2003: Intense nose here, more rose petal notes, beautiful perfumed style. Lychees and Turkish Delight, full of texture, plump, a super although low-acid style. Quite intense, and to my mind just ahead of the better known and more pricy Opitz One...in this tasting, anyway. 18/20

Willi Opitz Goldackerl Trockenbeerenauslese 2000: Welschriesling and Scheurebe. Intense honey and botrytis, quinine and apricots. Beautiful palate, showing great richness and depth, a plush texture, and wonderful balance. This is a very impressive package indeed. 18.5/20

Willi Opitz Gewurztraminer Trockenbeerenauslese 1998: A stylish nose here, showing refined and yet sweet, exuberant botrytis, quinine and honey character. Style and finesse on the palate, which has a beautiful texture and super balancing acidity, providing for an elegant balance. This is sensuous stuff, with great length. Superb. 19/20

Tasted in February 2003:

Willi Opitz Goldackerl Beerenauslese 2000: Rich golden hue. Some tropical fruits and good botrytis on the nose. Sweet, a touch unctuous on the palate, with acidity sufficient but on the low side. No great complexity at present, but very enjoyable. Tasted at 60 Hope Street. Good.