Making the most of its native varieties, this Zweigelt, Saint Laurent and (mostly) Blaufränkisch blend is pressed as whole bunches, then left to age for months in stainless steel. With a bright and cherry aroma of wild strawberries and a hint of rose, it has a crunchy and lively palate, mingled with peaches and lychees rather than soft red fruits. 92 points. Jane Parkinson, Halliday Wine Companion
The king’s crown has slipped. Which is not really surprising. After all, Blaufränkisch, Zweigelt, Merlot and Cabernet have come together in the 2020 Pittnauer Rosé to form a deeply democratic pink-red cuvée, based on the motto “Rosé for everyone”. The principle of égalité is not followed literally, but the lion’s share is granted to the Blaufränkisch and Zweigelt grapes – but no revolution is to be proclaimed either.
Rather, the “König” is about a rosé that can be drunk on any occasion and at any time of the day or night, that is inviting and stimulating, ensures a good mood, combines fluidity with substance and is welcome on the terrace, while picnicking and at business dinners.
To do this, we handpicked organically grown grapes from different vineyards on the right bank of Lake Neusiedl, pressed them after a few hours of maceration, fermented them spontaneously and then matured them in steel tanks for a few months.
The result is a wine that is waiting to be drunk outdoors and with friends. Under the last rays of sunshine of the day, by the lake or in the mountains or – if everything goes well – by the sea. It is light as a feather, smells of strawberries and roses, is crystal clear, slightly spicy, juicy and invigorating and flows fresh, fruity and without dangling over the palate. – Gerhard Pittnauer
Gerhard Pittnauer is located on the east shore of the Neusiedlersee in Austria’s Burgenland region, which is at the eastern extremity of Austria bordering with Hungary. He’s interested in biodynamics, which he’s now implementing in his vineyards, and he told me that he stopped spraying synthetic chemicals last year. ‘We only use sulphur and copper’, Gerhard emphasizes, ‘and we spray BD500 and BD501’.
These are two of the biodynamic preparations that assist with plant and soil health. ‘We use a quadbike as well as the tractor to spray, because this has less weight’, says Gerhard. ‘We use mechanical tilling, and this year I will try a natural green cover beneath the vines.’ He reports that he’s very pleased with the results of the 2006 vintage, when he didn’t use selected yeasts. ‘The results are wonderful.’
Switching to biodynamics so far seems to have gone well for Pittnauer. ‘It was a big risk to change everything, but now I’m happy and optimistic for the future’. The wines tasted here were impressive, even if three of them weren’t made with the help of biodynamics.
CellarHand is a fine-wine importer and wholesale distributor, with a portfolio featuring some of the most sought-after estates of Germany, Austria, France and Italy, as well some of the greatest producers from Australia and New Zealand. Our ethos has always been to build a portfolio as you’d construct the perfect wine list. We work with small, family producers who express the best of their regions. The wines we sell are the wines we enjoy, and the people who make them are like family to us. They are wines that taste of where they come from, and though they’re steeped in history and stamped with the signature of their terroir, they’re more than ever relevant – and desirable – to the Australian diner of today.
