Graue Freyheit 2022

Wine Description for Graue Freyheit 2022 by Heinrich

Colour & Appearance

Luminous rosehip red, brilliantly clear – a visual statement that blurs the boundaries between white and rosé wine. The colour stems from skin contact of the Pinot Gris and gives this wine its unmistakable identity.

Nose

Initially reserved, almost shy. Only after aeration do red fruits, lingonberry, white mulberry and rosehip unfold. The aromatics are deliberately understated, thoughtful rather than obtrusive – a wine that demands patience and rewards it.

Palate

Here Graue Freyheit reveals its true character: juicy fruit meets phenolic structure from the skin maceration period. Red apple skin, orange oil, bitter kitchen herbs and again rosehip paint a complex aromatic picture. The ripe, expansive acidity arc lends the wine verticality and impressive length. Refreshingly disciplined at 12% alcohol.

Finish

Long, precise, with lingering freshness. The phenolic texture provides grip, whilst the acidity delivers a juicy, invigorating aftertaste – a wine with an elevated „gulps per minute“ factor.

Terroir & Origin

The Pinot Gris comes from crystalline slate and quartzite schist soils at Joiser Hackelsberg and Windener Spiegel. Pinot Blanc and Chardonnay grow on the limestone and slate-bearing east-facing slopes of the Leitha Mountains in the top vineyard sites Breitenbrunner Edelgraben and Windener Alter Berg.

Grape Variety & Vinification

Cuvée of Pinot Gris, Pinot Blanc, Chardonnay and Neuburger. Hand-harvested from late August to mid-September, spontaneously fermented, partly with up to two weeks of skin maceration. Aged for 17 months in amphorae and used large oak barrels.

Food Pairing Suggestions

Ricotta ravioli in clear paprika consommé with fennel fronds, red mullet on saffron fennel, confit rabbit with Piment d’Espelette.

Special Characteristics

A wine that defies any categorisation – neither classic white wine nor rosé, but an independent statement on skin contact and natural winemaking from Burgenland.