Umathum ‘Rotburger’ Red Wine 2019

Pepi Umathum is one of Austria’s best known producers. In the Burgenland growing district called Neusiedlersee (Lake Neusiedl), he counts as one of the great champions of the traditional Austrian grape varieties. His main holdings are Rotburger (Zweigelt), St Laurent and Blaufrankisch with a bit of Welschriesling, Roter Traminer, the extremely rare Gelber Traminer, and the unusual ancient Lindenblattriger (Harslevelu in Hungary). Pepi has embraced the intricacies and harmonies of biodynamic viticulture, and for most of his wines, which are all hand-harvested, he prefers to use large barrels of native Austrian oak, which underscores the clear fruit aromatics of the wines. Some of the high-toned single vineyard bottlings are matured in smaller oak barrels and barriques, and are first released three years after the vintage.