Sattler Saint Laurent

When last I tried Weinbau Sattler’s 2006 Saint Laurent, nearly a year ago, it was the standout red of the entire Boutique Wine Collection fall portfolio tasting. Given the promise it showed then, time for a revisit seemed past nigh, so there was more than adequate motivation to dispatch with a bottle. Not to worry, it’s still doing just fine.


Burgenland Saint Laurent, Weinbau Sattler 2006
$20. 13% alcohol. Cork. Importer: A Terry Theise Selection, Michael Skurnik Wines, Syosset, NY.

A blast of reductive funk quickly blew off after opening to reveal crunchy blueberry compote and boysenberry fruit with a peppery twist of spice. Very much in line with my notes from last year. There’s a dash of volatile acidity too, though far from enough to render the wine unpleasant. Indeed, this isn’t clinically perfect vino. But there’s more than enough charm here to render a few blemishes forgivable.

Deep, vibrant red with very soft tannins, this is wine driven primarily by the freshness of its fruit allied with and carried by bright, snappy acids. Think of the difference between eating a store bought pie, made with syrupy, cloying, canned filling, and a pie made by your grandmother or a good, old school bakery, from fresh fruit. Or think of eating ripe wild berries versus the tamed down versions propagated by commercial fruit growers. There’s plenty of sweetness but also a distinctly tangy character. That structure makes this an eminently food friendly wine, one which I enjoyed well enough with a plate of grilled chicken, onions and zucchini but even more with an after dinner hunk of washed rind cow’s milk cheese. I could keep running with the pie analogy but I think I’ll let your imagination finish the picture….