Alois Kracher Auslese Cuvee / 2025 / 375mL

Description:

The Alois Kracher Auslese Cuvée 2025 is a sweet white from Neusiedlersee-Burgenland in Austria, generous with honeyed fruit but kept lively by bright acidity. At 375mL it sits at the lighter, fresher end of the sweet wine spectrum rather than the thick, unctuous end.

The nose leans towards ripe apricot, quince paste and orange peel, with a lift of honeysuckle and a faint waxy, beeswax character underneath. Yellow peach and dried apple follow on the palate, along with a touch of lemon curd.

Sweetness arrives early but never sprawls, because the acidity in this Neusiedlersee-Burgenland Auslese cuts a clean line straight through the middle. Texture is silky rather than syrupy, and the finish carries citrus zest and a slight bitter-almond twist that keeps you coming back to the glass.

Serve it well chilled with blue cheese, a fruit tart, crème brûlée or ripe stone fruit and cream. It also works alongside seared foie gras or a pork terrine, and is worth trying with a mild Thai curry where a little sweetness settles the chilli. The half bottle suits two people finishing a meal without a bottle left over, and it makes a good introduction to Austrian dessert wine for anyone who has not gone there before.

Drink from now through to around 2035, keeping in mind that a 375mL bottle develops faster than a 750mL of the same wine, so this one will reach its honeyed, toasty stage sooner.