I received this bottle of Austrian red from Last Bottle Wines- which, if you haven't heard of them, they're an awesome company that sells one bottle of wine per day and when they run out of it, they're out. They're out of Napa, California and I've bought a half dozen or so bottles from them and I believe this is the first bottle I've actually drank. This also was my first experience with an Austrian red, but it left something to be desired. While the majority of the grapes in this wine are Zweigelt, there are two other varietals that are similar to the Zweigelt grape: the Blaufränkisch and St. Laurent grapes, which if you combine the pedigrees those two grapes, you get the Zweigelt grape. Originally I called this a "red blend" in my inventory, but I will call it by its proper name, rather than a red blend. This wine hails from the Burgenland state of Austria, which borders Hungary in the eastern region of Austria (see picture below.) This region of Austria is relatively flat and sandy, especially around Lake Neusiedl. According to Mitchell Beazley's The World Atlas of Wine, 7th Edition, the Burgenland region is "the slightly improbable source of Austria's greatest red and sweet white wines." Beazley continues to say that this region is the hottest in Austria, making for what he calls a "red revolution." If you're looking for wines in (Central) Europe that are up and coming, I would look to this region specifically. I left the bottle open for about 5-10 minutes, but in all honesty it was far from enough time, as you'll read later. The color in the glass was a purple center with a red tinting around the edges as it sat in the glass. According to Wine Folly's "The Essential Guide to Wine", this red tinting indicates there is higher acidity than in other red wines. Other online blogs and reviewers recommend a slight chill (like an ice bucket) to bring out the acidity in this Austrian red, but I dislike chilled red wine (a lot, actually), but if that suits your taste more, by all means!
The smell that came from the wine was, well...lackluster. It took me awhile to pinpoint what scents were in this wine, but after a few long inhales (and admittedly a sip or two to jog my thinking) I smelled subtle cherry coupled with spices, specifically oregano and black pepper. But overall it was pretty...plain. Being that this was my first Austrian red, I was curious to see how this region of Europe made their wine, as I haven't had much (any?) wine from Central Europe. I was disappointed, but not discouraged. The taste had the cherry tartness, but with the spices being more present, especially the black pepper on the finish. The pepper was subtle enough to compliment and not overwhelm the cherry flavor. The body lacked complexity, which is something I enjoy most about wine: every taste being a bit different, but makes you keep drinking more to see what else you can taste. Sort of like a guessing game. This wine was not that. This was simple and to the point. Further, the body was a medium, mild tasting red. Not a monster Cabernet Sauvignon, but also not a Pinot Noir or Gamay (although I would say it is closer to a Pinot or Gamay.) So it won't leave you feeling heavy after a glass or three, but it does provide a presence. I wouldn't be opposed to having another Austrian red of course, or even another bottle of this red. Perhaps a bit longer airing out could help the taste, or just the bottle wasn't as strong or complex as others. I didn't specifically dislike this Blaufränkisch, but just prefer my wine with more complexity. That being said, if you like simple reds, or want to try a new lighter/medium red wine from a place no one in your friend group buys wine from (because who doesn't like to say they got a bottle from a far away country??), I would give this wine a try, it's a good summertime wine for sipping. Specs: ABV: 12.5% Varietal: Zweigelt: 60%; Blaufränkisch 30%; St. Laurent 10% Region: Burgenland, Austria, Europe Bottle size: 750ml Pairings: Grilled meats (hot dogs, brats)
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Author20 something living in Beer City USA with an affinity for wine. Other hobbies include photography, reading, and playing my pup. Archives
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