2012 Pittnauer Pannobile

Pittnauer

Austria / Burgenland / Pittnauer

Blend of mostly Blaufränkisch and Zweigelt from the Altenberg, Ungerberg, Rosenberg and Goldberg vineyards in Austria's Burgenland. Wild yeast fermented and matured for 20 months in used barriques. Sweet cherry plum fruit with touches of earth and autumn leaf. Spice, lovely biting acid all through the palate. Good texture, complex fruit spectrum. Long and lively sour cherry fruit with touches of graphite. Beautifully fine tannins encased with fresh acid.

September, 2015

Joel B. Payne

Vinous Media

91 points

Cedar, basil and black raspberry on the enticing nose. Creamy and rich yet bright and elegant on the palate, showing an attractively bitter edge. Finishes with a striking amalgam of black fruits, humus and a saltiness that provides this Pannobile with added nuance. Pittnauer believes that this blend of Zweigelt, Blaufränkisch and St. Laurent may be the best Pannobile he has ever produced since its inception in 1996. In any case, it is in the same league with the 2006, 2004 and 1999.

Standard Bottle In Stock

About Pittnauer

It's 20-odd years since Gerhard and Brigitte Pittnauer took over the winery in Gols near Lake Neusiedl in Burgenland, bordering Hungary at the eastern edge of Austria. Over that time they've pushed the boundaries of Austrian red winemaking, in particular with St Laurent and Zweigelt. But then there's the Blaufränkisch and - have you ever tried Burgenland Pinot Noir? You must. In 2001 the construction of the fittingly striking production hall in the middle of the vineyards allowed for a quantum jump in quality and quantity.

About

Pittnauer's wines are elegant, structured, complex and beautifully drinkable - qualities that were highlighted when Gerhard was named 2014 Winemaker of the Year by Falstaff magazine. This, the highest accolade in Austrian wine, shows just how far the Pittnauers have come. It also goes some way to showing what a fiercely gifted individual we have on our hands. But then everything -from the Pitti blend, through the vivid addition-free wines and right up to the devastatingly good single vineyards - will pretty much tell you the same thing.