Pittnauer Konig Rose

Winemaker: Gerhard Pittnauer Appellation: Austria Grape Varieties: 80% Blaufränkisch, 10% Zweigelt, 10% St. Laurent From 18 year old vines planted to a mixture of sandy, loamy and chalky soils. All were hand-harvested in early September, vineyard sorted and de-stemmed before spontaneous fermentation begins and and lasting 2-3 weeks, with temperature control. Aged for 8 months on the lees in stainless steel. Unfined and lightly filtered. There is a simple and honest feeling in the wine and spirit of Gerhard Pittnauer which hails from his generosity and humility. Given the reins of his vineyard in the mid-1980’s after the unexpected death of his father, Gerhard, then 18 years 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 exceptionality of the land he farmed and of the indigenous grapes of the region, allowed himself to experiment with some missteps until h