Piroska, 2021, Joiseph, Burgenland, Austria

Producer: Luka Zeichmann

Grape: 50% Zweigelt, 35% Blaufrankisch, 15% Pinot Noir

Soil: limestone/sedimented, calcareous topsoil

Luka is perhaps one of the most gentle and humble winemakers I've had the chance to meet. He is so connected to his land, to nature, to his vines... He grew up in Burgenland, his family have always had organic plots, organic orchards (from which they make incredible natural ciders), so farming organically and making wines with the littlest possible intervention has never been a question, it's a complete way of life for him. He is also part of the local forest preservation society and looks after a specific section of forest.

The Zweigelt was fermented in the harvest boxes for 3 days on skins, pressed, and transferred to 500L, 300L, and 225L barrels (old) where it finished fermentation (no punchdows). The Pinot Noir also only had 3 days of skin contact before pressing and aging in 2x300L barrels. The Blaufränkisch was fermented in harvest boxes before aging in 225L barrels. The wines were all blended in the spring in steel tanks where they stayed for a month prior to bottling with a small sulphite addition. Unfined, unfiltered. ‘Piroska’ in Hungarian means ‘Little Red Riding Hood, ‘ or simply ‘the little red one.’