St. Laurent

St. Laurent is an Austrian speciality with a French sounding name, said to come from the feast day of Saint Lawrence in August, around the time the berries change colour. It is a member of the Pinot family, and it tastes like it: dark cherry fruit, moderate colour, silky texture and a savoury, earthy edge underneath.

It matters twice over in Austria. On its own it makes the country's most Burgundian red, especially in the Thermenregion south of Vienna and around the Neusiedlersee. And it is one parent of Zweigelt, which Fritz Zweigelt bred in 1922 by crossing it with Blaufränkisch. Zweigelt inherited its parent's fruit and dropped its parent's difficulties, and it is now the most planted red grape in Austria.

The difficulties are real. St. Laurent buds early, so a spring frost can take the crop, and it sets fruit unevenly. The skins are thin, so late rain causes rot. The reward for the risk is a red with genuine perfume and finesse, which is a rare thing this far from Burgundy.