Reds from Austria, wirklich!

What? A red wine from Austria. The Austrians have been making reds all this time but we’ve been too busy getting a hard on for the groovy Grüner Veltliner (I count myself part of the group of erectees). The Austrians came to town a few months ago, but along with their Grüners, they brought their reds, Blaufrankisch, Zweigelt, St. Laurent and blends thereof.

St. Laurent, besides the excellent name, was the highlight for me and best in show the Glatzer St. Laurent which I’ve since revisited via O’Brien’s.

The closest description for the Glatzer I could come up with is good Burgundian Pinot Noir, wonderful alluring, enchanting aromas, with a gorgeous velvety, dusty texture, low tannins, streak of minerality and a high acidity.

This is made in Burgenland, a province in the east of the country. The vineyard is Altenberg or “high hill” in Roman town called Carnuntum (which I visited when I was a lad about 18 years ago with a certain wine perv). Carnumtum is half way between Wien (Vienna) and Preßburg, better known now as the capital of Slovakia, Bratislava. At the time I was there, the split of the Czech and Slovak republics was a twinkle in a new nation’s father’s eye but I digress.

Many of the St. Laurent’s presented at the Austrian tasting were of similar style and quality.

But if one tires of the cheaper Pinots from Chile or New Zealand, then this St. Laurent is a suitable alternative to those aspiring to Burgundian nirvana.

Availability

There’s not alot of this elusive stuff about, the Glatzer St. Laurent is available from O’Brien’s for €21.45.

Others apparitions of St. Laurent in Dublin though not yet transubstanitated? Look to Mitchell’s, The Corkscrew and Fallon & Byrne.

Seek it out with my blessing.

Tschüβ!