2012 Pittnauer St. Laurent Dorflagen

Pittnauer

Austria / Burgenland / Pittnauer

From various plateau sites around Gols in Austria's Burgenland: Salzbergacker, Goldberg, Zwickelacker, Edelgrund. Wild yeast fermented and matured 6 months in used barriques.

March, 2015

Raymond Chan

Raymond Chan Wine Reviews

18-/20

Very dark, deep, black-hued ruby-red colour, youthful in appearance. The nose is firmly concentrated with intense aromas of savoury black fruits entwined with black and red currants and subtle herbal and spice elements. With aeration some coffee and toast-mocha elements unfold. Medium-full bodied, dark red and black berried fruits show with a spice and herbal thread. The fruit is complexed by toasty oak interest and builds in intensity. Fine-grained tannins guide the wine and the palate flows with elevated acidity lending vitality and racy cut to the mouthfeel. This has a concentrated and lingering finish. The fruit is well defined and supported and the wine will keep 4-6 years. Burgenland. Indigenous yeast fermented to 12.5% alc., the wine aged 6-10 months in French oak.

Standard Bottle Out of 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.