Gumpoldskirchen Grosse Reserve Blanc de Noirs Brut Nature 1500ml Magnum

Intense lemon yellow with golden and green highlights, the perlage very fine and active. A sparkling wine that draws its power from time: the nose shows mirabelle plum and peach over a warm pastry base, along with tarte Tatin, with pineapple and mango in the background. Above that, warm brioche with salted butter, set against zest of lime and lemon, sea spray, oyster shell, wet chalk and stone.

Gumpoldskirchen in the Thermenregion, where Fred Loimer took over the Schellmann estate in 2004 and works on limestone soils with dark grape varieties destined for sparkling wine. The family estate is based in Langenlois in the Kamptal. There, Loimer converted to biodynamic farming in 2006 and co-founded respekt-BIODYN a year later, a certification that sets quality standards both in the vineyard and in the cellar.

Pinot Noir, Zweigelt and Sankt Laurent, pressed as white. Bottle fermentation using the traditional method, which Loimer has practised since 2013, followed by 78 months on the lees. Bottled as Brut Nature, meaning entirely without dosage, at 12.0% ABV. The magnum holds 1500 ml.

The entry is warm and multifaceted, the yeasty richness asserts itself with power and lingers for minutes. Behind it, the mineral side builds, and the mouthfeel turns cool and crisply mineral. This sparkling wine is not opulent — it lives on complexity and length. Almond and hazelnut define the finish.

78 months of lees ageing and the complete absence of dosage make this sparkling wine a study in purism. The cuvée of Pinot Noir, Zweigelt and Sankt Laurent shows what Loimer seeks in Gumpoldskirchen: finesse from dark grapes grown on limestone. The magnum format lends the ageing process additional calm.