Judith Beck Bambule! St. Laurent 2021

Judith Beck farms biodynamically in Burgenland, eastern Austria, working her family estate with low yields, hand harvesting and a minimal hand in the cellar. Bambule is her natural rosé from St. Laurent, a red grape related to Pinot Noir that gives perfumed red fruit and fresh acidity. The vines grow on gravel and loam near the warm, shallow Neusiedlersee, whose water moderates temperature and lengthens ripening. The wine is fermented with native yeasts and aged for around ten months in oak barrels, an unusually long ageing for a rosé that builds texture, gentle oxidative complexity and a savoury depth while keeping additions to a minimum. The colour is a pale, slightly hazy pink typical of low-intervention wine. The nose shows red cherry, redcurrant and a faint earthy, herbal note, and the palate is dry and textured, with bright acidity, light red fruit and a long, savoury finish. At 11% it stays fresh and light. Serve at 10 to 12 degrees. It pairs with charcuterie, roast chicken, mushroom dishes and soft cheeses.