Take a step outside your comfort zone and try the Heinrich Zweigelt.
100% Zweigelt from the Heideboden vineyard in Neusiedlersee, Burgenland, Austria. The wine spends 14 months in wooden casks and used 500-litre oak barrels, has just 1 g/L of residual sugar and is bottled with a glass stopper.
The Heinrich Zweigelt has an SRP of $20 and is available for as low as $14.
Sample submitted for review. Imported by Winebow.
From the bottle:
The true "classic" among our wines. Distinctive expression of varietal character with pronounced fruit, charm, elegance and refreshment; these are the attributes that fulfill our expectations of typicity. Our Zweigelt unites the characteristics of our region: the grapes stem from the flat, humus-rich sites of Heideboden, gravelly plots on the Parndorf Plateau, and the limestone and slate slopes of the Leitha Mountains. Naturally farmed vineyards and manual harvest mid-September 2014. Spontaneous fermentation in oak fermentation vats and in stainless steel tanks with two weeks on the skins. Matured for 14 months in large French and Austrian oak casks.
12.5% Alcohol
Zweigelt (pronounced Zvy-gelt) is a grape indigenous to Austria. An offspring of Blaufrankisch and St. Laurent created in Austria in 1922, this variety makes up about 40% of the red grape vineyard land in the country today. Despite its popularity in Austria, it's a variety that most have likely never heard of here in the U.S., which is a shame. Shopping the lesser known varietals is a great strategy for finding value wines!
The 2014 Heinrich Zweigelt begins with an intriguing and pleasing aroma of red and black cherry, red licorice, violets, spice and a bit of funk (and I mean that in the best possible way). The wine is easy to drink with nice complexity. Tart cherry, a little cranberry, wonderful pepper notes and more red licorice and spice all combine tastefully in this medium-bodied wine. Soft tannins lead into the dry, long, peppery-spice filled finish.
Looking for more of our favorite wines from Austria? Check out our full listing here!
Ready to buy the Heinrich Zweigelt? Check your local retailers.
