2016 Malat Satzen Pinot Noir

Kremstal is a wine of southern Austria that includes both the north and south banks of the Danube River, which winds through this district and helps give the wines their distinct characteristics. The main towns here are Stein and Krems, and the soil is an unusually soft loess – meaning half soil and half rock. Vintners here say the loess terroir contributes greatly to the flinty, dry but concentrated Grüner Veltliners and Rieslings. Austria has only in the last decade or so started an appellation system, and it is still in flux. However, there is a Kremstal Austria Controllatus (DAC) for Grüner Veltliner and Riesling.

This red wine is relatively light and can pair with a wide variety of foods. The grape prefers cooler climates and the wine is most often associated with Burgundy, Champagne and the U.S. west coast. Regional differences make it nearly as fickle as it is flexible.