Up up and away! Who doesn't like a label with a balloon on it, with a philosophical comment "I try to think what time is, and all I can think is...time is time was".
This delightful wine is made by Gerhard Pittnauer and his wife Brigitte in Austria. They are based in Gols, which is part of the Burgenland in eastern Austria. There is a good balance of warmth from long summer days, with a cooling influence from eastern Europe. Gerhard took over the family estate at the tender age of 18, the early introduction seems to have served him well, it didn't take him long to become a very well regarded winemaker.
Pittnauer considers his role as a guiding hand, using minimal intervention to let each wine express its terroir. They farm biodynamically, they do not use any chemicals in the vineyard and favour the character wild yeasts bring to the wine. They built their new winery in the middle of the vineyards to preserve freshness, they even use refrigerated vans to store harvested fruit during hot vintages, before going to press. Admirable attention to detail.
This is light bodied, it almost floats out of the glass, it is juicy and full of life, a tantalising combination of plum and blackberry fruit, with tar and earthy notes. A quirky, fun, naturally made wine with a true sense of place.