Ruster Urbarial Selection 2022

This cuvée comes from the slopes of Rust, in Burgenland, in eastern Austria, on the shores of Lake Neusiedl. The hills surrounding the town form a south-east-facing amphitheatre, at the crossroads of continental, Pannonian and Mediterranean influences. The lake, shallow and covering 280 km², softens the climate, while hot days and cool nights favour wines that are both dense and fresh. The soils are varied: ancient weathered rock mixing quartz, schist and loess, shell limestone and clayey loess.

Bruno Landauer produces this Ruster Urbarial Selection only in great vintages. The Zweigelt, Merlot and Pinot Noir grapes, from the family vineyards in Rust farmed under an environmentally friendly viticulture programme, are harvested ripe and then vinified with a great deal of traditional manual work. The blend thus combines a native Central European grape variety with two international varieties, for a prestige cuvée intended to develop favourably in the cellar over several years. The estate does not disclose the details of fermentation or the length of ageing.

This wine reveals notes of blackberry, blackcurrant, black cherry, plum, violet, pepper, dried herbs and graphite. The deep nose is dominated by very ripe black fruit, lifted by a spicy and floral touch. The palate is harmonious and complex, with body but also great finesse, supported by marked minerality and lovely aromatic freshness. Melted tannins lead to a long, elegant finish.

Austrian viticulture has made enormous strides in wine quality over the past decade. Today, Austrian winemakers no longer produce cheap wines for mass consumption, but rather refined and complex wines. Austria produces 65% white wines. From a general perspective, Austrian wines are more powerful and richer than those of their German neighbor. The major and most widely planted national grape variety is Grüner Veltliner (an indigenous white grape). Red wine production continues to increase in volume, intensity, and quality. In Burgenland, in particular, producers are making the most of a unique blend of local grape varieties (Blaufränkisch, Saint-Laurent, Zweigelt) and French varieties (Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, and Pinot Noir). Austria's climate is primarily continental, with cold winters and hot summers. The country is influenced by four main weather patterns. To the east, continental influences from Pannonia; to the west, Atlantic influences as well as cold winds from the north; and to the south, Mediterranean influences. The Danube, meandering languidly through numerous vineyards, brings a variety of microclimates to the vines.