Saint Laurent Wine Variety
This is a red wine variety most commonly associated with Austria where it is becoming increasingly popular, but it could also have a future in Australia.
This is a red wine variety most commonly associated with Austria where it is becoming increasingly popular.
Hahndorf Hill Winery:
The home of Saint Laurent in Australia
Synonyms include Sankt Laurent, Saint-Lorentzen, Laurenzentraube and Lorenzentraube (Austria) Schwarzer (Germany) Svatovavrinecke (Czech Republic and Slovakia),
There is a variety called Pinot Saint-Laurent which is a different variety. It is not related to either Saint lares, or Pinot Noir according to Jancis Robinson's Wine Grapes.
The variety produces wines which are velvety and deeply coloured (hence the German synonym Schwarzer, black). Sour cherries is one descriptor which occurs often in tasting notes.
Oz Clarke claims the variety is more like Gamay than Pinot Noir - high praise indeed.
Saint Laurent in Australia
This variety is being pioneered in Australia by Hahndorf Hill Winery in the Adelaide Hills. Hahndorf Hill have commitment to a program of using Austrian varieties and it joins their line up of Blaufrankisch, Gruner Veltliner, Trollinger and Zweigelt. There is quite buzz for these varieties and early results suggest that some excellent wines will be made.The variety is suitable for cool areas and I would predict that a few producers in the Adelaide Hills or perhaps Tasmania may have a look at it.
Would you like to try some?
The Snooth Wine Search Engine is a good way to find unusual wines, and more importantly, local retailers.
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