Description
Christoph Edelbauer, Zweigelt
Today we offer a rare, one-stop opportunity to dramatically increase the “wow” factor of your home cellar: An extraordinarily limited wine, and one of the most complex, elegant, and downright—I’ll say it—“expensive-tasting” Austrian reds I’ve encountered in my career. The sense of detail and class here is undeniable; a north star many Austrian winemakers would be wise to follow. As a SommSelect subscriber, you are likely well-familiar with rising Austrian superstar Christoph Edelbauer. We prominently feature Christoph’s gorgeous bottles whenever possible, and offer his exceptional, and exceptionally rare, Riesling and Grüner Veltliner in our online retail store whenever a six- or 12-bottle allotment comes our way. But, let me be clear that this is the first time SommSelect has acquired a red wine from Christoph.
Because, while Christoph’s aforementioned whites are certified wine list and social media candy on both sides of the Atlantic, his two reds (a superlative Pinot Noir and today’s breathtaking 100% Zweigelt) are produced in such limited quantity and vacuumed up so voraciously upon-release in Europe, that SommSelect has never been offered even a single bottle. I don’t expect this opportunity to repeat itself again anytime soon, so I encourage you to join me in grabbing a few!
When tasting through Edelbauer’s current vintage, one quickly gets the sense that something extremely special is occurring in this small cellar. It doesn’t hurt that these are among the most eye-catching bottles originating from Austria, or that Edelbauer is one of the more eloquent and telegenic winegrowers to command attention on social media. But, take my word that Christoph’s success isn’t a figment of marketing—it’s the product of Grand Cru-equivalent terroir and a lasting reputation for astonishingly complex and undeniably world-class wine!
Be it breathtakingly deep sparkling wines, soulful Pinot Noir, or perfectly chiseled dry Riesling and Grüner, it seems as if everything Christoph touches turns to gold. Visit Christoph’s winery in Langenlois and you’ll behold Dwell Magazine-worthy architecture, awe-inspiring beauty of the surrounding landscape, and the concise but no-less-magnificent collection of parcels in many of Langenlois’ (the geographic heart of Austria’s Kamptal region) grandest crus. But, more than anything, I suspect you will appreciate that his world-class wines are the result of an obsession with small scale, minute details, and artisan craftsmanship. Every decision at this property is made with thought, intention, and creativity. The Certified Organic operation produces its own organic compost, work is done entirely by hand, and all activity in the vineyard and cellar is optimized for quality and pure expression of terroir—not growth or maximum profit. Success is almost a given when one is bottling wines that taste (let alone look!) this exceptional, but the overriding sense of any visit to Weingut Christoph Edelbauer is that it is an environment dedicated not to commerce, but genuine artistry and craftsmanship.
The plump, dark Zweigelt grapes that create today’s stunning wine originate from gnarled, decades-old vines from the sandy, red-clay soils of the Hasel vineyard. After hand harvesting into baskets, fermentation proceeds in open tanks. The juice ferments on skins for 1.5 months with intermittent punch-downs. Finally, the wine is aged in 500-liter French and Austrian oak barrels for a year before bottling.
I love a wine whose appearance mirrors its taste and aroma, and Christoph Edelbauer’s 2017 Zweigelt does just that as it cascades from the decanter, a cooling deluge of purple, magenta, and black tones; a visual manifestation of the dark cherry, huckleberry, and blackcurrant fruits that comprise an elegant and deeply satisfying mid-palate. While mass-produced “weeknight” Austrian reds diminish the Zweigelt variety with a sometimes less-than-noble reputation in the broader wine world, this bottle proves it is more than capable of expressing Chinon-like minerality and a brooding-yet-beautiful, meaty/herbal/floral character that isn’t dissimilar from my favorite alpine French/Swiss/Italian reds. Still, the take-home message here is elegance, aromatic beauty, and intricate yet perfectly integrated and smoothly contoured structure. This wine doesn’t commandeer your pallet with tannins and alcohol, or demand a specific culinary companion. Instead, it soothingly caresses and embraces a variety of cuisines and flavors. Jacques Pépin’s effortless and timelessly delicious chicken thighs with mustard and garlic is an obvious bullseye, but Zweigelt’s gentle tannins and soft fruit make today’s wine an equally ideal partner for Peking duck or glazed salmon. With a wine this good, you can’t go wrong! Serve in large Burgundy stems at 60 degrees. Cheers!
