2013 Zweigelt Riedencuvée

Walter Glatzer was sitting behind the table in his blue jeans and hunting jacket when I arrived. A stout gentleman who makes charming wines that I often find more authentic than those of some of his better- known peers, he talks little unless he has something to say--and then in such a strong local dialect that I must pay careful attention to understand. Nothing that he does is overdone. He wants ripeness, but not alcohol. He uses barrels, but much less new wood today. While I have never found Zweigelt to be anything more than a pleasant red wine, his Dornenvogel is one of the most serious that I have ever tasted and, like everything in his portfolio, offers excellent value.