Kracher's 2001 sweet Austrians

The 2001 vintage was a difficult one for Alois Kracher, the man who put Austria on the map as a sweet white wine producer.

(There are plans for a Botrytis Forum to be held in London this 21 September with him, Comte Alexandre de Lur Saluces of Yquem and Istvan Szepsy of Tokaj.)

There was such heavy rain just before the harvest that at least a quarter of the grapes had to be jettisoned. Each vineyard was harvested at least twice, between the end of October and the middle of November. There was considerable botrytis and very high extract but...