Bravo Baron

Whenever I have tried a Pinot Noir from Austria..it seemed to strive towards power rather than elegance. Each to his own...but how was this one gonna be?
The estate is located in the commune of Halbturn in the Neusiedlersee wine-growing region in Burgenland in Austria. It has a long tradition, its history goes back to the early 14th century. It is owned today by Baron Paul Waldbott-Bassenheim. The current general manager, Markus Graf zu Königsegg, has begun to implement a comprehensive restructuring of the wine estate. The person in charge of this is Karl-Heinz „Carlo“ Wolf. The first step was taken in early 2001, when the historical terraces on the Joiser Jungenberg site were uprooted to a large extent (two thirds), and replanted. The cellar, too, was rebuilt, and equipped with state-of-the-art technology. Oenologists from Burgundy were engaged to assist in the project. The vineyard area totals 48 hectares, located in the communes of Halbturn (the largest contiguous vineyard in Austria, 40 hectares in extent, is located in the regional site Wittmannshof) and Jois. 90% of the area is planted with the red varieties Blaufränkisch, Zweigelt, St. Laurent, Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Merlot and Pinot Noir, the remaining 10% is planted with the white varieties Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc and Riesling. In addition, a wine estate with 17 hectares of vineyards has been leased in the commune of Kleinhöflein. Two ranges of wines are produced. White, red and sweet wines from the best vineyard sites of the estate are marketed under the label „Schloss Halbturn“.
Schloss Halbturn Pinot Noir 2005
Burgenland, Austria
Answer at once..gooooood!! Ruby red colour..delicate fruit on the nose...woodland berries and some nuts and almonds...very harmonious...slightly toasty..soft tannins..and elegant style...and...............juices to die for...really mouth-wateringly good...this is a joy to enjoy.
50% new oak barrels are used.
Bravo
Points 17.75