WEINGUT PITTNAUER (Burgenland, Austria)
There is a simple and honest feeling in the wine and spirit of Gerhard Pittnauer, which hails from his generosity and humility. Given the reigns of his vineyard in the mid-80s, after his father unexpectedly passed, he, then 18yrs old, had to train himself to make wine in the midst of scandal and chaos in the Austrian wine market. He chose to become a student of the broader wine world and in realizing the uniqueness of the land he farmed, and the indigenous grapes of region, allowed himself to experiment, perhaps with missteps, until he found his theses. He set forth to 'grow' wine rather than to 'make' it in the cellar, from the auctotone varietals. He did so without any viticultural doctrine until he found that there was a consistent, common thread in the wines he loved to drink (from France and elsewhere). If, he thought, these wines were amazing because of biodynamics, then he must do the same to achieve the pinnacle in his own wine. As so, with his wife Brigitte, he tends 15ha (1/2 his own and 1/2 rented) in a personal spirit on organics, to create what they call ’Äòliving wines’Äô. All the work is done manually, from composting to pruning. There is no calendar that drives them. Nothing is rushed. It is quality over speed. They taste for perfect ripeness, select for the cleanest grapes and begin the wine in the cellar in response to the conditions of the vintage. They do incorporate a bit of modern technology: pneumatic press, temp-controlled steel tank and pumps, all to insure the purity and freshness of the fruit remain. They are making wines that excite them, with the unique voice of the varietal and terrior (with the deep limestone soils) speaking clearly. Gerhard and Brigitte are aware of the evolution of their tastes, as well as the vineyard's. They are students presenting the current findings. Not with proud declaration, but with excited experimental energy to get to the best of what they have. So far, it is delicious research.
St. Laurent Dorflagen 2008

100% St. Laurent hand picked, sorted and crushed into stainless steel tanks. Temperature controlled ferments with only natural yeasts. Remains on skins for controlled extraction. Moved to French oak for malolactic fermentation and 6-10 months aging. Aged several months in bottle before release.