Netzl, Zweigelt
Carnuntum, 2018
$18, organic
Netzl is a family-owned and operated winery in the Carnuntum region south and east of Vienna, bordering Slovakia and Hungary. Current winemaker, Christina Netzl, grew up at the winery, helping her mother, Christine, and father, Franz.
The “Classic” bottling is pure Zweigelt, fermented in stainless steel and aged in large oak vats, no additional flavors are derived, just a softening of a still youthful expression of Zweigelt. Fresh cherry and pomegranate fruit, a slate quality that moves to graphite and a hint of spice that instead becomes a minerally finish. This is a fresh, clean expression of the variety.
Picture at right: Christina Netzl, center, with husband, Peter Artner, and Katja Matthews of Artisanal Cellars, at Windham Wines