Venti Anni Apple Barrique: Wolfram Ortner's noble collection series for spirits lovers
We proudly announce that in the year 2018 Wolfram Ortner bottled up his latest vintage from the Venti Anni series - the apple barrique cuvée 1997 is now introduced to the world and is to give spirits the opportunity to complete their VA collection.
And here is the story behind it
Ortner's idea was always to make a "great product" from the interplay of apple and wood. In a loose sense, the French calvados could be considered a source of inspiration. The VA series is also a reflection of the professional development of the master distiller from the Carinthian Nock region. A fascinating and exciting affair. We had to deal intensively with fruits and barrels. Of course, it is about finding the right blends of fruits, because the ultimate goal here is not to have a perfect soloist concert, but rather to create the optimal orchestration of an apple product. The basic concept for the selection of apples is easily explained: various varieties of apples – from the first pick of the season to the last harvest in October -- are mashed and distilled according to a sophisticated system. The aim is to get a combination of sweet, tart and acidic apple flavors together in the bottle as an end product. The fresh cider apple characteric is skillfully embedded in a lot of fruit sweetness and wood sweetness. The result: a fantastically animated distillate with a lot of strength and balance - on the nose and on the palate.
The products are filled with approx. 48% vol. Currently the years 1993 to 1997 are available. A mini showcase of such exquisite flavors can be found to be the duet of the vintages 1994 and 1995 (each with 100 ml content) in an attractive cigar box. All products from the Venti Anni series are also available in the mouth-blown WOB decanter (500 ml) and are also available in a gift box with the distinctive WOB glasses.
Find out more on www.wob.at or visit us in the WOB distillery in the Nock-Land in Bad Kleinkirchheim.
Chronological Review
In 1989, half a limousine barrique was filled with Gloster, the first year of Brenner's life by Wolfram Ortner.
In 1990 and 1991, a blend of Goldrenette and Gloster matured in Limousin barrique with medium toast.
In 1992, the first vintage of the Venti Anni Red was launched - a blend of Goldrenette, Gloster and Jersey Mac in Limousin Barrique.
The concept "apple and wood" has been developed over the years. It is based on selected varieties of apples from the nearby region Lavanttal, which were fermented and distilled throughout the harvest season, resulting in a special cuvée. The distillates were matured and stored in French Limousin oak barrels. Density and length characterize the series - the powerful aroma of the apple-wood composition is hard to beat.
Roughly, these products are often referred to as "flavor and aroma bombs". Connoisseurs appreciate the ripe, multi-faceted apple fruit in combination with fine roasted aromas, rave about the mix of coffee, leather and vanilla, the great extract sweetness, enormous density and sheer infinite length.
The Venti Anni Blue 1993 is the second product in the series, based on four apple varieties - the dominant ones are Jersey Mac, Gravensteiner and Goldrenette. Matured in selected barriques, the distillates show the typical signature of the distiller.
The Venti Anni Braun 1994 was supplemented by the varieties Cox Orange and Golden Delicious.
The Venti Anni Grün 1995 is a creation of Cox Orange, Goldrenette, Jersey Mac, Gravensteiner, Gloster and Golden Delicious as well as the South Tyrolean varieties Champagnerrenette and Kalterer Rose - the latter give the brand a particularly charming note.
At Venti Anni Orange in 1996, Jonathan, Goldrenette, Lavanttaler Banana, Boskop, McIntosh and Berner Rose make an exciting play in flavor.
The Venti Anni Blue 1997 is already an independent designation, known as the WOB Evolution. Fragrance: Great apple-wood aroma range, massive fruit esters as base notes, citrus-orange accents, fresh-musty apple notes, strong toasted notes, a lot of vanilla, honey, leather, cold coffee, rum raisins, sweetish quince-like background.
Taste: Intense, fresh fruit-ester-wood play, almost candy-like strawberry-like, balance between roasted and fruity notes, delicately tart, slightly pithy apple notes, caramel, malt sugar, chocolate, rum notes, harmonious, dense and long.
