From: Carnuntum, Austria
Varietal: Zweigelt
Taste: A fantastic introduction to Zweigelt! And, for those already familiar with the varietal, a breath of fresh air. It should be noted that Zweigelt (and this wine in particular) would show well among wines of similar weight and climate: Loire Valley wines especially, though if you love red wines from Alsace, Alto-Piemonte, Alto Adige, and the Savoie/Jura, you’ll find common ground here. If your “thing” is more along the lines of Amarone della Valpolicella or WA/CA red blends… you may find this wine the complete opposite of that. Luckily for all of us, this is priced extremely well, and purchasing a bottle out of curiosity is encouraged! In the glass, you’ll find a fruit-driven, pleasurable Zweigelt with aromas of sappy cherries and layers of mint and blackberries reigned in with fine tannins. Rebencuvee is a newer name for what used to be called "Riedencuvee," which the authorities thought sounded too much like a single-vineyard wine. This wine is pure Glatzer, gorgeous, lovable, yummy. After one week of maceration this wine is aged in neutral 2000-liter casks for nine months.
Pairing: As with so many food pairing suggestions, some of the best combinations start with the variety's regional pairings (roasted ham hock (check out the Lechon Kawali reicipe below) would be a classic match made in Austria). It's relatively robust structure, tannins and freshness mean the variety can stand up to a number of hearty dishes, from grilled sausages and mustard to a duck confit. Pair with mild to slightly spicy dishes with red meat as well as Spanish and Mexican food.
Lechon Kawali
By Naz Deravian
Updated Nov. 30, 2023
About. Walter Glatzer farms 54 hectares in the ancient region of Carnuntum, the largest border community of the Roman Empire where Celtics, Romans, and later monastic settlements tended vines for over 2000 years. Carnuntum has a unique combination of exposition, soil and microclimate that provides perfect conditions for viticulture. Vines in Carnuntum benefit from the contrast created by the warm Pannonian plane to the northeast, the cooling currents off the Danube, and wind protection from the Maria Ellend forest, to the north. This climate creates wide diurnal temperature swings, giving the wines a freshness and brightness that makes them a pleasure to drink.
The gently rolling hills of stony, dense loam and gravel soils are perfect for red grape varieties, while the sand on the alluvial plane stretching to the Danube are ideal soils grüner veltliner and other white varieties. Glatzer plants his vineyards to a about 5000 vines per hectare to help reduce vine stress and believes in high canopy training which focuses more energy, and consequently more ripeness in the fruit.
Red wines, especially zweigelt and blaufränkisch, play the leading roles at Weingut Glatzer. After maceration and fermentation in stainless steel, gentle pump-overs, and a gentle pressing, Walter ages the entry level wines in large 2000 liter casks and the reserve wines, including Dornenvogel Zweigelt, in barrique for 12 months. White wines are fermented at low temperatures in temperature-controlled stainless steel tanks to retain as much freshness, fruit and varietal character as possible. A certain amount of lees-contact gives additional depth and complexity to all wines.
Vineyard and cuvée details.
Grape: Zweigelt.
Region: Carnuntum
. Vineyard: Sourced from a collection of organically farmed vineyards in and around the village of Göttlesbrunn. Soil: Rich loamy-clay soils with some sand and gravel
Production: Stainless steel fermentation, maturation in oak.
Glazter’s vineyards are predominately South-facing and are all around the village of Göttlesbrunn, where the Pannonian microclimate and loess-rich soils were already used to cultivate wine in Roman times. Here you will find a combination of sandy loam, gravel with clay & sand.
About the varietal, Zweigelt.
