WILD Kirsche — Edition Sommelier

WILD Kirsche is a wild cherry fruit essence in Obsthof Retter's Edition Sommelier range, built from a single fruit rather than a blend. It is clarified naturally rather than filtered, and matured in the historic Pöllau castle cellar. No sugar, water, or flavorings enter the bottle.^[1]

That cellar maturation is the method Obsthof Retter applies across its wild fruit essences: constant temperatures allow a natural breakdown of fruit acid, and the limited vintage bottlings rest within the thick walls of the Pöllau castle cellar until they reach optimal drinking maturity. The essences themselves are drawn from the first pressing of the wild fruit, which the producer calls the heart or quintessence, with yield deliberately forgone in favour of a denser, more aromatic result than a conventional juice.

The declared composition is 100% wild cherry.^[2]

Wild Cherry (Vogerlkirsche) — Sole Component. The essence is made from wild cherries, known locally as Vogerlkirsche. According to Obsthof Retter, the trees demand a great deal of space and the best soil, and the harvest is labour-intensive with a low yield.^[2]

Palate. The palate carries long persistence.^[2]

Production. WILD Kirsche is produced by Obsthof Retter, a family manufactory operating since 1886 in Austria's Pöllau Valley, the homeland of the Hirschbirne and the Kronprinz Rudolf apple. The house grew from a small farm there into an internationally recognised organic fruit manufactory and is described as an organic pioneer from Austria. The bottling sits in the Wildfrucht Essenzen line released under the Edition Sommelier label, alongside the WILD, WELL and FLY sub-ranges.

Ingredients Policy. The essence is made entirely without added sugar, water or flavorings. For the Edition Sommelier line as a whole, Obsthof Retter states that it sources wild berries and fruits from the world's best wild and primeval forest sites, mostly growing autochthonously.^[1]