This month's WOTM is a real curio. It is a white wine made from Rotgipfler, which even in its native country Austria is a rare find. I only had the pleasure of tasting it due to a chance encounter with a fellow sommelier who showed me this wine in a blind tasting. While it was a good bet that the wine was made from an indigenous grape from an Old World country due to its unusual taste profile, pinning down the actual region was a challenge. The density and richness of the fruit led me to believe that it was from a warm climate, a guess that proved wrong when the wine was revealed as having come from Thermenregion, named for its profusion of thermal springs and marked by sunny, dry summers with cool winters. Although the grape can be made into sweeter styles, this is a dry wine.
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| Photo credit: WineLeo |
Wine: Johanneshof Reinisch Rotgipfler 2012
Tasting note: A beautiful golden hue to this wine that hints at its generosity. The palate lives up to the promise, exhibiting ripe tropical fruits and notes of yellow peach, rock melon, herbal candy and a slight nuttiness. The full, oily texture is counterbalanced by high acidity and a refreshing finish. The unique flavour offers an interesting alternative to common grape varieties and the price is very wallet-friendly.
Distributor: WineLeo
