2016 Judith Beck, Red Wine “Beck Ink” Burgenland, Austria.
The beautifully detailed and interesting Beck Ink Red Wine, by the talented Judith Beck, crafted from mostly Zweigelt along with St. Laurent from Austria’s Burgenland region near Lake Neusiedl made from biodynamic grapes. Her estate which was founded by her parents in 1976 is one of the most intriguing wineries in Austria and highlights the terroir of this region set on loam, clay and limestone soils of the warm climate defined by the Pannonian plain. Judith Beck gained international experience at world-renowned wineries, including Chateau Cos d’Estournel in Bordeaux, Braida in Piedmont and Errazuriz in Chile. Judith and her father Matthias practiced sustainable viticulture from the outset, and converted to biodynamic practice with the 2007 vintage, believing that path offers the best quality. Judith uses only native yeasts in the fermentation process. The red wines are fermented in temperature-controlled stainless steel tanks, in new barriques or in open vats. The wines undergo malolactic fermentation in new barriques or in large oak barrels. Judith Beck who launched her Ink in 2014, has made It is a fresh, juicy, vibrant and delicious blend of 80% Zweigelt and 20% St. Laurent, especially here with this release, it’s a dark, lightly perfumed red that has a smooth texture and wonderfully purity of fruit.
Judith’s fermentation, in her Beck Ink, occurs spontaneously, triggered only by the grapes’ native yeasts, all which was from hand picked, carefully sorted and de-stemmed grapes, in stainless steel tanks. Beck then circulates the fermenting juice over the cap of grape skins twice per day for the first 10 days to attain a balanced level of extraction, which certainly is the case with this 2016 version. The young wine, for Beck Ink, is then racked off its skins and moved into 1000-2000 liter, neutral acacia wood casks for two months where the wine completes its malolactic fermentation, then it is then transferred to neutral 500 and 1000 litre oak casks for 8-10 months of aging. All of this make the Beck Ink a easy to love wine with a dark and spicy profile showing layers of plum, black cherry, tangy currant and cranberry fruits along with mineral tones, dusty spices, delicate florals, anise, light earthy notes and a chalky element. The warmly ripe Beck Ink, which the winery notes, is natural and all vegan, has a quaffable character and it’s medium body make it a flexible red to go with a variety of food choices and it shines with a fresh vibrancy that allow it to be fun value offering and age worthy, to enjoy over the next 3 to 5 years.
($16-19 Est.) 91 Points, grapelive