Hahndorf Hill Winery
  Adelaide Hills
Tom Wood – the poetic palate in residence at Hahndorf Hill
Pittnauer is a very well-known producer located along the eastern shore of the Neusiedlersee, Burgenland. Gerhard and Brigitte took over the winery nearly 20 years ago and have gained much recognition ever since. In 2014, Pittnauer was voted by Falstaff Magazine as the winemaker of the year. This is the highest accolade for winemaking in Austria!
The vineyard practices have changed since 1998 however, and since 2006 the viticulture has all been done biodynamically. The specialty for Pittnauer is St Laurent, Zweigelt, Blaufrankisch and they even make a wonderful Austrian interpretation of Pinot Noir. The resulting wines are described as being very well balanced, structured and elegant and the ‘Heideboden’ is no exception.
The ‘Heideboden’ Blaufrankisch comes from the Heideboden which is a flat but gravelly and low-lying area between the village of Gols and Lake Neusiedlersee. The wine is made from 100% Blaufrankisch which is picked and hand sorted then fermented in stainless steel and further aged in used barriques for nine months.
The Pittnauer ‘Heideboden’ Blaufrankisch 2014
I’ve had this in the fridge for 20 minutes and it reads a perfect 18.0 degrees on the Vinotemp monitor. Ruby-purple colour to the wine and don’t let its transparency fool you, this does have body and delivery! Instant thoughts were ‘is this burgundy?!’ (despite obviously knowing better); it immediately reminded me of some of the darker-fruited and meaty interpretations of Pinot Noir from the Côte de Nuits but this feels ever so fresh.
Olives in brine, blackberry and almost a dried prosciutto aroma that leaps out of the glass initially. As time went by the wine then started to show a lot more bright, red-fruited character. The olive brine and blackberry has nestled right into the background playing quite a nice supporting role. Aromas of fresh raspberry, juiced oranges, ripe blueberry, sarsaparilla and a spicy, floral incense have arrived right at the forefront and there’s barely noticeable oak work in sight.
The palate follows with raspberry and blueberry but there’s a dark chocolate that comes through with the faintest of bitterness; however not off-putting in the slightest. One very noticeable feature of structure here is alcohol, or the lack thereof. I’ve found myself double checking the alcohol at times which sits at 12.5%. The palate flows seamlessly. There is a raspberry-like acidity and the softest lick of tannin. The balance here is admirable. Honestly, it’s the type of wine I’m enjoying so much now for its freshness and I don’t want to see this sit in my cellar for too long; in saying that I’d be very interested in seeing some bottle development in a few years’ time.
I could see this working really well with Greek-style red meats, in particular with quite heavy garlic and salt content. It’d also work very well with thyme roasted mushrooms! Overall thoughts – the wine is very well balanced with great flavour intensity and wonderful value for money!