Another burst of pure joy from Burgenland’s Rosi Schuster
“Hannes is still the best kept secret of Austria,” wrote Stephan Reinhardt of Wine Advocate following his visit to Austria earlier this year.
We couldn’t agree more. In the last few years Hannes has taken great strides in capturing the essence of his region of Burgenland and its native varieties, while delivering a touch of his own magic.
But by the same token… is the secret out? I mean, the latest vintage of Rotburger, Sankt Laurent and Blaufränkisch evaporated during 2020’s lockdown, leaving Australia’s Rosi Schuster fans thirsting for a refill.
Good news: It’s here now! We have a new wine, too – a red sibling to the Aus den Dörfern Weiss. The name means “from the villages”, and it’s a triumphant tribute to this part of Austria’s Burgenland, and three very fine indigenous black grapes.
2018 Rosi Schuster Aus den Dörfern Weiss $43
A blend of 60% Grüner Veltliner and Gemischter Satz (mixed plantings). The fruit comes from vines aged between 21 and 51 years old growing on the hillsides (150-180m) of Schützen am Gebirge, Oslip and Sankt Margarethen. The soils feature loam, sand, limestone and gneiss. The handpicked fruit is fermented with indigenous yeasts before nine months’ maturation in stainless steel (65%) and large old oak barrels (35%).
“This wine for me is a bit more precise than the previous vintages,” says Hannes. “2018 was warm with a super early start of the harvest but there’s enough freshness coming from the soils of limestone and gneiss.”
2019 Rosi Schuster Aus den Dörfern Rot $43
“It’s a blend of mainly Rotburger with Blaufränkisch and Sankt Laurent. Easy and fruity like a Rotburger, with the backbone of Blaufränkisch and the lightness of Sankt Laurent. You can serve it a bit chilled.” – Hannes Schuster
2018 Rosi Schuster Sankt Laurent $43
The Sankt Laurent grapes grow on vines aged between 11 and 31 years old growing on the hillsides (120-180m) of Sankt Margarethen, Zagersdorf, Oslip and Donnerskirchen. The soils feature sand, limestone, loam and slate. The fruit is handpicked and undergoes fermentation with indigenous yeasts. The wine matures in large wooden barrels for 10 months.
2019 Rosi Schuster Blaufränkisch $43
The vineyards for this are in Sankt Margarethen and Zagersdorf but for this wine Hannes Schuster uses younger vineyards (between 10 and 25 years old). The must is spontaneously fermented in stainless steel tanks and aged in big oak barrels for 18 months. It’s bottled without fining and without filtration.
2014 Rosi Schuster Reserve Blaufränkisch / Sankt Laurent $58
The 2014 Reserve Blaufränkisch | Sankt Laurent (a 70-30 blend) is very spicy and peppery in its ripe and concentrated grated black fruit aromas. Silky and fresh on the lean but fleshy palate, the 2014 is more stringent and tannic than the floral and fresh 2016 or the smooth and charming 2015, but it shows good concentration and taut character.
90+ Points Stephan Reinhardt, Wine Advocate