2015 Umathum “Rosa” Rosé, Burgenland, Austria.
Most known for his deep reds and aromatic whites, Herr Umathum one of Austria’s most cherished producers also crafts his Rosa (Rosé) from a saignée of all organic Zweigelt, Blaufrankisch and Sankt Laurent. The Umathum Rosa is surprisingly vibrant and vivid with a burst of pink grapefruit, tart cherry, watermelon, rosewater, spices, lovely mineral notes and a hint of river stone. The color from the bleed off is pretty with a rich hue which is bright and shiny in the glass, while the wine itself stays vital, charmingly delicate and tangy fresh. This is an impressive showing for this wine and set of grapes, right up there with Brundlmayer, Groiss and Prieler for my favorite Austrian Pinks! Umathum is making a great set of wines, I highly recommend any and all of his collection, especially charming, biodynamic and stylish is the Traminer, one of the best examples of this in Europe, it is wonderfully complex, perfumed and rich with a crisp/dry intensity that is riveting as well as some of the most sought after Zweigelt and Blaufrankisch which are old school, deep and earthy. That all said, I love the Rosa and hope to enjoy more than a few bottles of this Umathum Rosé this summer, it’s full of life, pleasure and is glorious with food, it really hit the spot at a recent lunch at the famed Slanted Door in San Francisco, going perfectly with an assortment of exotic dishes! Drink the Umathum Rosa over the coming 6 months to a year, it will be at it’s best young and briskly fresh.
($20 Est.) 90+ Points, grapelive
