Martin and Anna Arndorfer "Vereinter Schatz" Red Kamptal 2023

Press 4 Red • November 2024 Direct Press Selection

Martin and Anna Arndorfer both come from a long line of winemakers in the Kamptal and Wachau region of Austria, and are thus able to make wine in a wide range of styles, from classic and polished to wild and funky. Some of my favorite wines from them have been the 'daughter wines' named after each of their three daughters. The rosé is named for Marie, the oldest, and the wine is made fermenting Zweigelt with Grüner Veltliner skins, a unique approach that has since spawned several delicious copycats across the globe. The Arndorfers are subversive in this way, pushing the boundaries in the highly-regarded, tradition-laden Kamptal region while keeping an eye on maximum pleasure and preservation of nature.

“Vereinter Schatz” is a play on words the Arndorfers to skirt new wine laws which disallow them from calling this wine a Gemischter Satz. In German, it sounds like “Gemischter Satz”, but it roughly translates as “United Sweeties”. The Vereinter Schatz Red is 80% Zweigelt and 20% Pinot Noir cofermented in large wooden fermenters, then rested for 5 months before bottling with just a small SO2 addition. This is bright, fun and ready to go from the first pour, with lots of white pepper, red plum skin, and raspberry. The palate has a fun, crunchy, whole cluster aspect with juicy blackberry and bright pomegranate notes. Drink this right now as fall comes into full swing with a slight chill. Ben Fletcher