Simon Kotvojs & Benedikt Strasser

I was "paired up" with Benedikt und the Landkind by Nicole Heiling, our photographer. Before Nicole moved to Iceland, she lived in the 15th district in Vienna and Landkind was her local bar. She said: they need your wine, so it happened that Benedikt was suddenly standing here in the winery and after a tasting he said: by the way, we would also need a house wine. The fact that Benedikt was also born in Mittelburgenland was the next coincidence, but that is another story.
At the end of last year we held an evening event at Landkind, where I was able to get to know Simon and the whole team. What I like about Landkind is the search for the best products, which are then brought directly to the plate. The “simple” location at Schwendermarkt in Vienna is perfect for a place like this. The "Landkinder" are currently looking for new operators. (So stop by as soon as possible before they move on.) But I’m sure that – no matter where the two of them end up – it will be just as a personal gastronomic experience as in Landkind.

Tasting notes by Simon Kotvojs & Benedikt Strasser

• Franz Plays with Szürke, Fehér & Kék MMXXI

When we saw Franz's face on the bottle, we also smiled. We have been big fans of this wine line and its variants since his first experiments. The main characters in the bottle are Pinot Blanc (Fehérburgundi), Pinot Gris (Szürkebarát) & Pinot Noir (Kékburgundi). In terms of color, the wine appears pink to light orange in the glass. Citrus fruits and honeydew melon meet on the nose, and there is also some peach. On the tongue we taste an exciting mixture of green apple, lime, spices, with a hint of wormwood in the finish. A wine with drinking flow and nice acidity for the first warm days of spring. Exciting and fascinating at the same time, without being spacey or intrusive. Play on, Franz! That's how we like it!

• Blaufränkisch Ried Hochäcker 2019

Wow, even with a test number and single vineyard name! Reading recommendation: Stolen Origin. Hot topic in the Austrian (natural) wine world. Should a Federal Tasting Office decide what a Blaufränkisch should taste like or should this decision be made by the vine in combination with the soil and the winemaker? We say the latter. But enough politics, time will tell and you'll drink something that tastes good anyway. Ruby red wine shines towards us in the glass, the smell reminds us of sour cherries and pomegranate. Hochäcker 2019 tastes of sour cherries, herbs and blackberries. Elegant on the finish. Blaufränkisch at its best. No matter whether with or without a test number.

• Höllesgrund Syrah 2021

Syrah... Haven't had it in a glass for a long time. It feels like the grape variety has disappeared from almost all wine lists recently. Wrongfully so, in our opinion! It's good that Petra & Franz are counteracting this with their Höllesgrund. At 13.5% it is the heaviest in the range, but you don't notice, as it comes across very light-footed. A rich cherry red is in front of us in the glass. We smell forest, wood, ripe berries and earthy tones like beetroot. In terms of taste, we find ourselves again with currants, pepper and plums with a beautifully integrated acidity. It's only available in the best years and you can taste it. Hell of good stuff!

The Message in a Bottle is our wine subscription. Our aim here is to present to you an assortment of wines to enjoy, including interesting tasting notes from our guest authors.