This wine was produced for the first time in the 2011 vintage. My grandfather Alois Kracher Sr. often told me about the "dry" reserve wines that were produced in the region in the 50s and 60s. These wines were harvested very late (at the end of October), at a time when the sweet wine harvest was also beginning. The grapes were ripe to overripe and contained a good proportion of fresh, undried botrytis berries, up to 20%. As a result, these wines had a high concentration, plenty of depth, a playful saltiness and lots of fruit. Long ageing of 2-4 years in oak barrels between 300-1,000 liters made the wine accessible and harmonious. These were special wines that were produced only rarely and often only on special occasions such as the birth of a child or a wedding. Unfortunately, they went out of fashion in the mid-70s and fell into oblivion.
For many years, I was convinced that such a wine would be very difficult to establish on the market, as the wine was dry in some years and semi-dry in others due to the way it was made, and the consumer would probably find this difficult to understand.
In 2011 during the harvest, in the middle of the night, I remembered the stories about this type of wine. I decided to give it a try. Without any possibility of ever having tasted this style, I relied on my grandfather's stories and my intuition. This is how the first 3 barrels were created.
It was to be a cuvée of Welschriesling, Chardonnay and Scheurebe. Welschriesling for the elegance, Chardonnay for the concentration and body and Scheurebe for the exotic fruit. New barriques were chosen for the ageing process. Since I knew that the wine would be very intense and highly concentrated, new barrels were ideal. The air exchange through the pores (which are more open in new barrels) would allow the wine to find its harmony.
After 3.5 years, the wine was bottled and it tasted just like my grandfather had described:
On the nose, meadow flowers blooming in the national park in spring. On the palate, yellow fruits, ringed limes, a hint of pineapple and peach. Pleasant acidity on the finish, underpinned by herbs and, which makes this wine seem almost light-footed despite its concentration, a salty and fruity aftertaste.
The wine was and is semi-dry in most years, although it tastes dry. Fortunately, my fear that many customers would not buy the wine because of the lower-case word "semi-dry" on the back label did not materialize at all. The wine was immediately well received and has been an important and indispensable part of our range since the 2011 vintage.
Unfortunately, Alois Kracher Sr. was no longer able to taste this wine. I'm sure he would have loved to drink it. I wish I had listened to him years before and produced this wine. As a small thank you, this wine is dedicated to him and bears the name K, the first letter of our family name.