Alois Kracher Zweigelt Auslese / 2022 / 375mL

Description:

The Alois Kracher Zweigelt Auslese 2022 is a sweet red from Neusiedlersee-Burgenland in Austria, built on ripe cherry and strawberry rather than heavy botrytis character. Bright cherry red in the glass with coppery edges, it is sweet without being cloying, and light enough on its feet to drink at the end of a meal rather than defeat you.

Zweigelt gives the wine its perfume: crushed morello cherry, strawberry conserve and red currant, with a lift of dried rose petal and a hint of baking spice behind. The palate follows the nose closely, all sour-cherry compote and berry fruit, sweet and generous but never syrupy.

Sweetness sits on a fine line of acidity that keeps everything moving, and the tannins are so soft they read more as texture than grip. The finish is clean and red-fruited, leaving a tang of cherry stone rather than sugar.

Serve it lightly chilled with dark chocolate desserts, cherry clafoutis, poached plums or a wedge of ripe washed-rind cheese. It also works with a berry tart, where the fruit in the glass mirrors the fruit on the plate.

Drinking well now and through to about 2030. Worth remembering that this is a 375mL bottle, so it will develop faster than a full-sized one — no bad thing if you would rather drink it young and vivid, and a sensible pour for two or three people who only want a glass each.