2004 Zantho St. Laurent

[dananne]

Burgenland, Austria. This red grape is in the Pinot Noir family, and it is similar to a Pinot profile, but the dark berry aromas and flavors show more earthy minerality (perhaps reflecting the gravelly soils in the region) and distinct peppery spiciness. Food friendly and clocks in at a reasonable 13% alc. Certainly old world in style, yet not lacking in fruit. We liked it and found it interesting. We paid about $15 for it in a local shop, which is good P/Q. FWIW, the winery is a joint effort between two Austrian wine luminaries, including Josef Umathum, who is supposedly the Austrian master at St. Laurent. The grape only accounts for 1% of Austrian wine production, but at it's best, like in Umathum's rare single vineyard wine, it supposedly tastes like a great Chambertin. Anyway, it's worth the look, and would be hard to miss in a wine shop with a lizard on the label.