Blue chip from the second row
St. Laurent
St. Laurent rushes through vegetation: it sprouts early and matures early. It loves deep ground and, like all members of the Pinot family, especially enjoys calcareous soil.
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Blue chip from the second row
St. Laurent rushes through vegetation: it sprouts early and matures early. It loves deep ground and, like all members of the Pinot family, especially enjoys calcareous soil.
Rheinhessen winemakers have a lot to offer to Pinot lovers. While Spätburgunder (Pinot Noir) , Grauburgunder (Pinot Gris) and Weißburgunder (Pinot Blanc) take center stage, there are some Pinot blue chips in the second row that deserve special attention.
These include St. Laurent, which has distanced itself from the Pinot family as an independent red wine in Rheinhessen, covering 259 hectares (1%) of the total vineyard.
The name "St. Laurent" leads back to St. Lawrence, who is also seen as the patron for chefs. His memorial day (10th of August) coincides with the beginning of St. Laurent's ripening. In this time window, the first shades of red can be observed on the grapes' skins.
A high natural ripeness of the berries in combination with good extract and acidity usually results in particularly aromatic, strong and fresh red wines. It covers a wide range of different flavours: blackcurrant, wild cherries, elderberries or dark chocolate are the defining components - in aged St. Laurent wines, the relation to Pinot Noir becomes more visible. There is a high acidity in St. Laurent wines, with tannins, that are generally considered to be thoroughly pleasant. In many cases, the barrel aging puts the icing on the cake in this sophisticated grape variety.
St. Laurent usually is special and rare at the same time and therefore often found in excellent qualities. Depending on the fruitiness and density of these interesting red wines they either match lighter or stronger dishes from game to mature cheeses.
