TASTING NOTES: Nose: Lots of depth and complexity in this bouquet — fruity and earthy. Cherry, tobacco, violets, spice — black pepper and white pepper, plum. Palate: Well-balanced and well-structured. Vibrant acidity with medium body and a lingering, elegant finish.
 

FOOD PAIRING RECOMMENDATION: Grilled sausage with sauerkraut or Braised eggplant in agrodolce
 

ASHWIN'S REFLECTION: Gerhard Pittnauer took over his family's vineyards at just 18 years old — a time when two momentous events took place, one concerning all of Austria and one much more profound and life-altering at home. The mid 1980s were the height of the "anti-freeze" scandal in Austria, whereby some Austrian winemakers added diethylene glycol, a chemical used in antifreeze, to their wines in order to make their wines taste sweeter and fuller-bodied. Amidst this chaotic macro backdrop, Gerhard's father suddenly passed away, leaving his teenage son as the unexpected head of the estate. Boy did he rise to the occasion when faced with adversity of a kind that few people have to deal with at that age. Gerhard took inspiration from the types of wines he himself liked to drink — natural, biodynamic wine with little manipulation. And that's exactly what he's been producing for decades and what we have in the bottle here.