Johanneshof Reinisch St. Laurent - Austria

The St-Laurent grape variety is believed to be a mutation of Pinot Noir, which originated in Burgundy and was brought to the Thermenregion by monks, where it is now considered a local grape. It has many of the virtues of Pinot Noir, but is a bit difficult to grow and produces a low yield. This is why it disappeared from Burgundy and was almost abandoned in Austria, until around 1999-2009, when some producers in the Thermenregion rediscovered it – among them Johanneshof Reinisch. The name St. Laurent comes from the fact that the grapes usually start to turn red on the saint’s name day, St. Lawrence, on August 10th.

The St. Laurent grapes for this wine come from vineyards around Tattendorf, where the very mineral, deep soil (pebbles, lime, sand, clay) and the favorable, warm climate conditions are perfect for red grapes, not least Pinot Noir and St. Laurent. The vines are between 6 and 27 years old. After destemming and a gentle crushing, the grapes are subjected to a short, cool skin maceration to optimize the color, aroma and flavor extract. The wine is then transferred to wooden barrels, where fermentation takes place. Finally, the wine matures for about 12 months in a combination of large wooden barrels (3,000 l.) and used barriques (225 l.).