2012 Pittnauer St. Laurent Rosenberg

Pittnauer

Austria / Burgenland / Pittnauer

St Laurent grown on the sandy, red gravel soils of the Rosenberg vineyard in Weiden am See in Austria's Burgenland. Wild yeast fermented and matured for 20 months in used barriques. Fresh, lively with undercurrent of tightly coiled fruit. There's a bruised fruit character on the nose but fresh on the palate. Savoury saline fruit with fine acid line.

September, 2015

Joel B. Payne

Vinous Media

92 points

Wild cherry redcurrant and pine nuts on the nose, lifted by an herbal nuance. A succulent but animated St. Laurent, showing good lift and vinosity to its herbal berry flavors. In a rich, almost sweet style, reminiscent of Pinot Noir, with supple tannins dusting the palate on the finish. While this 2012 Rosenberg is not as structured as the Altenberg, it's finer.

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.