Tasting
Dense purple in its maximum, nicely opaque, obvious viscosity, ethereal and characteristic fragrance spectrum. Graphite, loads of mint, black berries, a nice share of cinnamon & cassis fine chocolate. Stewed sour cherries, notes of cedar, ivy and a touch of green pepper, very opulent and complex appearance.
Dry, compact tannin frame, powerful berry fruit, due to its intensive aromas nice to chew. Balanced and full of finesse. Proves that it works without technical concentration all the same. Generous with high ageing potential. Complexity and animation build up from sip to sip. The result of rigorous manual selection combined with very strict barrel selection! Worth a smile! A young Titan from the Cabernet star.
Pairing
Saltimbocca made of beef, lamb neck sautéed for hours with fennel- game jus. Grandma's cheese sticks with caraway. Ever tried with peppered donkey salami sandwich? Zebu tongue on grilled okra, tarte flambée with smoked duck breast, smoked bison carpaccio - wine maker`s size, leg of wild hare with elderberries, breast of wild duck with brandy sauce and fried pepper dumplings. Could even add to smoked tofu (not tested!). To get drunk in a politically incorrect sense, to accompany a rich Sbrinz tasting. To forget in style and experience a creative upswing instead. Could (subjunctive) mature until grandsons would be allowed to join the tasting. To enjoy alone – open a magnum for a tet-á-tet.
Making
1st week of October 2018 manually picked into small boxes, mainly from the single vineyards Kraxner (marl on schist subsoil), Gillesberg and Ritter (slate weathering soils).
De-stemming, closed fermentation for 14 days at a temperature of approximately 30 °C (88 °F), followed by 4 days of maceration, gentle pressing, malolactic fermentation and maturation in small 300 l – oak barrels (25% new).
