Christian Tschida Himmel auf Erden Rosé 2024

Himmel auf Erden Rosé is made by Christian Tschida, a fourth-generation grower tending old vines in Burgenland, in eastern Austria, and one of the country's most respected natural winemakers. The wine is a single-variety rosé from Cabernet Franc, an unusual choice that brings the grape's bright red fruit and characteristic leafy, herbal lift. Burgenland sits in a warm, dry pocket near the Hungarian border, its continental climate tempered by the shallow Neusiedlersee lake, which moderates temperature and helps the grapes ripen evenly while retaining acidity. The wine is farmed organically and made naturally, with native yeast fermentation and little or no added sulphur. It is aged in large old Slavonian oak barrels, which are neutral in flavour and chosen for slow micro-oxygenation and texture rather than oak character, so the fruit stays in front. At 12 percent it is light and fresh. The colour is a pale, slightly hazy pink in the natural style, with aromas of redcurrant, wild strawberry and red cherry lifted by dried herbs, citrus peel and a floral note. The palate is dry, light and savoury, with a fresh, herbal finish. Serve chilled at 8 to 10 degrees.