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29 replies

Austrian red?

B berMember
Has and Austrian red this weekend -- yes Austrian. It's called Zweigelt and the winemaker was Heinrich. My expectations was that it would be some pale pinotage type wine, but it was big and fruity and thick -- surprisingly good. Waiting to see what happens with it tonight. Has anybody out there had this wine and if so, what varietal is it?
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P phylloxeraMember
Hi BER,

exotic-ness lies in the eye of the beholder. This from a country where Zweigelt is your daily table wine and people would ask "They make wine in California too???".

Zweigelt was made in the 1920s by Prof. Zweigelt as a Blaufränkisch x St. Laurent cross, intended to produce high yields (which it does if you let it). It is a wine meant to be drunk young and fruity like a Zin, Dolcetto or most Sangiovese. Of course there are serious versions like one of the best wines I have tried recently, Pöckl's Admiral, which is a 60% Zweigelt blend. (Should be available in America but probably $60-$80.)

Gernot Heinrich too, is one of Austria's best red wine producers (he also makes "Salzberg", probably the most cultish Austrian red). His Zweigelts are usually rated by WS in the 85-89 range.

industria virtus mediocrorum
M marcMember
Interesting comparisons Phyll. I also think it has most things in common with Dolcetto. It can be an easy guess in blind tastings because of its predominant blueberry notes. The main difference is the higher acidity of the Zweigelt. I've never tasted an aged example of Zweigelt though.

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This is just another cheap attempt to boost the number of my posts!
P phylloxeraMember
Now let's be serious just for one moment, Gasty! Razz

Marc, I would rather recognise it from its bright cherry fruit with a touch of elderberry aroma. But however, I also think it's easy to pick.

Especially that elderberry thing is what makes me believe Zweigelt makes a very good blending grape (like Cabernet Franc). It adds interesting aromas but has often not enough stuffing.

And yes, I never had an aged Zweigelt either.

industria virtus mediocrorum
B berMember
Thanks for the info. For me it was cherry and perhaps a little eldeberry notes. I did not pick up a lot of acid -- just tons of sweetness in the middle and a fairly long finnish without tannins. I thought it resembled a young malbec as far as the fruit profile went.
By exotic I mean I walked into the store thinking I'd pick up some French or Spanish bottles and instead got sidetracked. The drink young is good advice -- with all that fruit I was tempted to put one down and see what happened.

I drank a Chinon side by side with the last of the Zweigelt last night and remembered why I'll take subtlety any day.
R rikMember
I'm really in for Austrian reds.

Zweigelt is somewhat simple. It reminds me more of beaujolais crus.

It's refreshing, to be drunk early.

Look what I have here. Münzenrieder Zweigelt 2000.
My wife hates it.

I like it much.
It's got a very clean rubyred colour, good concentration.
It's got a not too overwhelming but attractive nose with some raisins and a lot of cherry.
The mouth is quite sweet, with some decent bitter in the end and enough acidity to keep it vivid.
The aftertaste is short.

A very nice everyday wine.

On Austrian reds I would like to add that I was really impressed by the Attaché cuvée by Domaine Bismarck (also ik Burgenland), consistising of Blaufrankisch and Cabernet Sauvignon.
It's gone through a wealthy stay in oak barriques, which it can stand without a problem: a lot of body, highly concentrated dark red, concentrated, clean nose, not overwhelmed by the oak. Black and red fruit, pepper, vannilla. Like it. Good balance in the mouth, fine tannins, quite long aftertaste.

It's nice to have some of this kinda wines, for when you're a bit fed up with the heavier stuff (which I like just as well).
The Sheerass, to name one.
P phylloxeraMember
BTW, Marc, as for the aging of Zweigelt, I remember that the moderator of that German board wrote that the "Olivin" from Winkler-Hermaden ages extremely well. I had this wine a couple of months ago and posted that I was a little disappointed with it (I said it was an OK Zweigelt but not worth €20). He said that it was too young and needed 20 years (!!!) on it.

Not sure I can believe that.

industria virtus mediocrorum
M markusrandallMember
Gastro, according to the on-line dictionary I found, Blueberry is called Mantequilla. (Funny, a berry called butter...) You could ask for it in Corte - I've never seen them sold in Spain though, but I guess you'd find them in Asturias, por lo menos. Makes for great pie I tell you!

Of elderberries I have no idea, except that someone's father apparently smelled of them.
R rikMember
Mantequilla? Maybe in a huge Meursault, not in a simple Zweigelt.
I thought you would say "aràndano".
But Spanish has many secrets for me, like: how can un abadejo be a fish, a bird and a spanish fly at the same time.

As for Elderberry. It's Saùco.
And I didn't find it in my Zweigelt. I mainly associate it with great Chilean Cabernet Sauvignon (or a Carmenère Reserva sometimes).
G gastronautaMember
Thanks! Indeed arándano is something I only know through jams and preserves, and I've "heard" of Saúco but wouldn't recognize it for my life. Now that I'm in mainland Spain I'll probably become familiar with this sort of forest stuff. So far pine, laurel, and eucalyptus covered 50% of my everyday species... Interesting thread twist...
Big Grin Big Grin

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Free Winona!
R rikMember
Old Zweigelt. No idea.
Only have this one box of Münzenrieder 2000.

Tell you what. I'll post you in about 16 years. If reumatism allows.
but I don't think aging it is such a good idea. Except in the greatest of vintage.

Compare it to gamay.
I had some wonderful bottles of Morgon 1976 a few years ago. The Major Cuvée from Dubœuf.
The 1975 however sucked big time.
I find the Zweigelt has the same kind of character as does the Gamay. It's merely made for the short track, I figure.
P phylloxeraMember
Some more Zweigelt trivia?

The hottest (most expensive at €35 - €40) Zweigelt in Austria at the moment is the Schwarz Rot. It's a pun: The owner is Schwarz (meaning Black) and the wine is simply called Rot (red), so it's actually Black Red. He also makes a white "Schwarz Weiss" and a rosé.

Mr. Schwarz is a butcher in his day job (his rosé is hence called "The Butcher") and he crafts his wines with the help of Alois Kracher (to whom he sold his grapes previously) and Manfred Krankl.

I tasted the 2001 recently but wasn't too impressed. It was a dark and concentrated wine but seemed to magnify the (to my taste not so interesting) basic Zweigelt flavors of cedary cherries. Like simple Zweigelt on steroids. But this was from the admittedly very poor 2001 vintage. But let's say 90 points for power and concentration.

90% of the production is exported so there should be some up for grabs.

industria virtus mediocrorum

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