Heinrich, Zweigelt 2009, Burgenland, Austria

Tasting Note: A dry, aged, concentrated zweigelt from Austria that is still full of life, but is more wise and serious than its younger-vintage brethren.

Medium-intensity ruby in color, this wine has an aromatic nose of black cherry, black plum, cranberry and violet.

On the palate, the dry, medium-plus bodied zweigelt has concentrated fruit flavors suggested on the nose along with medium-plus flavor intensity and grippy, medium-plus tannin with a hint of white pepper on the finish.

There is medium-plus acidity that is in balance with the fruit character of the wine.

Many of the zweigelt bottles you encounter tend to be fruity, light-hearted and Beaujolais-like in character.

Within that context this wine would be a Morgon.

Delicious – especially served slightly chilled.

A wine for the serious red-wine drinker in your life.

Bottle Note: According to literature, Austria’s most common autochthonal varietal prefers soils that are rich in humus. Especially when grown in red gravelly soils, very high-quality wines can be produced. Exactly those conditions are found in the vineyards where this very Zweigelt 2009 was harvested by hand in September 2009, carefully selected in the vineyards and at the estate, fermented spontaneously in stainless steel tanks and aged in wooden vats and twice-used French barriques.