Description

This is a producer at the cutting edge of red wine production in all of Europe. It has been 15 years since Brigitte and Gerhard Pittnauer took over winery in Gols near Lake Neusiedl in Burgenland, at the eastern extremity of Austria bordering with Hungary. With only 3.8 hectares of vineyards Pittnauer winery ranks among Austria’s rising red wine producers. Look out for the truly amazing old vine and single vineyard St Laurent wines.

St Laurent is thought to have descended from Pinot Noir a long time ago. This is an entry point to the variety and was full of smokey, blood oranges, dirt, mineral and meaty. The palate was tart, with red fruits, soft and tasted of the earth. Fine tannins and a hint silky. I think this variety suits the foods we eat in Australia.

Burgenland – ‘Powerful wines from the land of Sunshine’. The large 13,840ha area of Burgenland on the Eastern border offers a great diversity of wine styles. Neusiedlersee in the north is the home of Zweigelt. Mittelburgenland is where Blaufrankisch finds a natural home.

St. Laurant – Making dark, sturdy and dense wines from Northern Burgenland and surrounding regions. This variety gets its name from St Lawrence Day (10th August) – the day when the grapes start changing colour.