Tasting
Alarmingly dense purple on to the rim, opaque core. Archetypal fragrance with notes of mint, stewed black elder and cedar wood, a touch of 72% Valrhona, cigar box and Cassis. This wine did not mature in Barrique barrels and thus displays a beautiful, dense fruit with varietal characteristics. Dry, dark berries, shows a pronounced character and a touch of dark chocolate and some tomato paste. Palisander. Present yet pleasant tannin. Beautiful creamy texture. Vibrating structure and stewed cherries on to a delicate, fine-fruity finish. It should rather read: “To know that´s what Merlot is about”. We gratefully notice that the vineyards continuously come of age and successively produce increasingly serious wines. Fresh Merlot from “Rust gravel”-soils – that´s something!
Pairing
Purée of leek with goosegrams, bean goulash with smoked paprika, baked beans strudel as popular in Purbach, blood sausage frittata, Carbonara with air-dried bacon, lavish tarte flambée, wild boar kebap with “of all and spicy”, truffled bratwurst, juniper bacon snacks, with olive tapas, zebu tongue with Jerusalem artichoke gratin, leg of lamb with herbal sauce. Together with smoked game or chilli omelette. Accompanying creamy goose soup with semolina dumplings. With Joseph´s bread and fennel- or – if need be- truffle salami. With refined stews with pep and spiciness. To make sure that this is the optimum way of life. For “Barrique-haters” who nevertheless won’t do without power and fieriness. May cause early sunset, or flare hearts. Not to be underestimated!
Making
Hand-picked into small boxes, mid of September 2020. An especially small-berried selection from family-owned vineyards, our site in Rust: Großer Turner I and II.
De-stemming, closed mash fermentation for 12 days at a temperature of approx. 30 °C (88 °F), gentle pressing followed by malolactic fermentation, maturation in large oak casks.
