It’s easy to write about 100 points. Three digits that feel like a rubber stamp. Done. Filed away. Which is exactly why I’m not writing this piece because of the three fresh 100-point Parker ratings for Kracher. I’m happy for any winemaker who gets them; they’re a confirmation, sure — but they don’t tell you anything about what a wine actually does to you when it’s in your glass. And these three TBAs did something to me. Something huge.
Max Kaindl, November 17, 2025
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Kracher 100 – When Scores Suddenly Don’t Matter Anymore
Visiting the Sweet Wine Master of Lake Neusiedl
A few days ago, I was at the Kracher Wine Days in Illmitz. Two days in the Seewinkel with people who don’t simply make sweet wine — they live it. And at the center of it all: Gerhard Kracher, a winemaker who honors his father’s legacy but has long since defined a style entirely his own. Kracher today isn’t a museum for great sweet wines of the past — it’s a laboratory, constantly pushing the boundaries of what this style can be.
Which made it all the more impressive to taste three almost mythical wines from their treasury: Chardonnay TBA No. 3 Nouvelle Vague 2000, Grande Cuvée TBA No. 7 Nouvelle Vague 2005, and Scheurebe TBA No. 9 Zwischen den Seen 2005 — the three wines that have now each received 100 points. A hat-trick. But let me say it straight: points don’t even begin to explain what’s happening here.
Nouvelle Vague or Zwischen den Seen — a quick explainer
Kracher deliberately works in two stylistic worlds.
Zwischen den Seen is the classic line: stainless steel or large casks, clear fruit, razor-sharp acidity, pure varietal character.
Nouvelle Vague is the modern take: barrique aging, more structure, more texture, a hint of Sauternes DNA — but always with the Kracher hallmark of freshness.
Both lines come from the same philosophy, but they walk completely different paths.
The estate – a place where sweet wine breathes
Kracher is no ordinary winery. It’s a magnifying glass. A place where climate, courage, history, and an almost radical commitment to quality have merged across three generations. The Seewinkel around Lake Neusiedl provides the perfect stage: warm days, cool nights, misty mornings – a natural engine for botrytis. Alois Kracher Sr. recognized this potential, his son Luis turned it into world-class wine. And today, Gerhard carries that legacy forward without ever standing still. He brings in international influences and thinks of sweet wine not as a tradition, but as a promise for the future.
What makes Kracher special is this rare blend of craftsmanship, technical clarity, and a near-artistic vision. This is not about sugar levels or ripeness; it’s about architecture – about taming opulence, carving out tension, and preserving energy for decades to come. Kracher is the epicenter of Austrian sweet wine – and at the same time one of the most fascinating places for wines with the potential to outlive all of us.
My tasting notes
TBA No. 3 Chardonnay Nouvelle Vague 2000
This wine is a time-capsule moment. Twenty-five years of age and still as alive as day one.
On the nose: the unmistakable Alois-Kracher signature botrytis bouquet — clear, salty, smoky, with subtle wood spice. Acacia honey, yellow plum, light caramel, tobacco leaf, lychee, a touch of passion fruit.
On the palate: creamy and buttery, yet driven. No sugar attack — instead, a precise stream of freshness, salt, citrus. Crème brûlée, salted almonds, vanilla, cocoa. A wine that seduces without ever pushing.
My takeaway: This is Chardonnay in its purest essence. A sweet wine that breaks every category. Mature, deep, and at the same time unbelievably approachable. If you want to understand what Alois Kracher was capable of — here’s your answer.
TBA No. 7 Grande Cuvée Nouvelle Vague 2005
This wine is a monument. One of the last vintages where all three generations of the Kracher family worked together — and you feel it.
Golden with a copper sheen, a nose full of apricot, candied orange, apple, honey, nougat, and that fine salty edge. A hint of stone that gives all the opulence structure.
On the palate: everything perfectly interwoven — creamy yet focused; dense but never heavy; energetic with pinpoint acidity. Peach, dried fruit, citrus, roasted notes, salty minerality.
My takeaway: This is balance turned into a religion. Perhaps the most complete sweet-wine cuvée Kracher has ever created. A timeless TBA that tastes like it will only get more beautiful over the next 50 years.
TBA No. 9 Scheurebe Zwischen den Seen 2005
And then the Scheurebe — in its most beautiful, precise, cool form.
On the nose: mandarin, candied lime, grapefruit zest, mint, eucalyptus, blossom honey, white nougat. Plus that bright, seashell-like saltiness that feels almost northern.
On the palate: juicy, vibrant, uplifting. Ripe apricot, peach, passion fruit, citrus freshness — all crystal-clear and unburdened because the wine never saw wood. Creamy texture, but never heavy.
My takeaway: This variety is a rock. And it’s underrated. Once you’ve tasted this TBA, you seriously start to wonder why Scheurebe isn’t considered one of the world’s great sweet-wine grapes.
What Remains
I left Illmitz with the feeling that sweet wine is one of the most honest categories in all of winemaking. Because it demands patience. Time. Trust. And because every mistake shows — mercilessly.
Kracher manages not only to preserve this delicate craft, but to push it forward. Modern sweet wines that remain fresh, salty, energized — and that prove that great sweet wine isn’t old-fashioned at all, but absolutely contemporary.
Parker can hand out his 100 points. They’re deserved. But these wines don’t need numbers. They tell their own story — if you’re willing to listen.
Pictures: © The Art of Riesling – Maximilian Kaindl
