Austria makes world-class red wine. If that surprises you, this is the bottle that will change your mind for good.

Michael Allacher is one of Burgenland’s most talented and exciting winemakers — and the Altenberg Red is his masterpiece: an award-winning three-way blend that brings together the best of Austria’s indigenous character and international grape expertise in a single, beautifully crafted wine. St. Laurent — one of Austria’s great indigenous red grapes, related to Pinot Noir and sharing its capacity for elegance and perfume — provides the backbone, bringing brightness, lift, and a lovely aromatic finesse. Merlot adds plush, generous dark fruit and a silky, rounded texture. Cabernet Sauvignon steps in with structure, spice, and a firm tannic backbone that gives the wine real presence and ageing potential. The Altenberg vineyard in Burgenland — named for its ancient elevated position — provides exceptional fruit, and the 2021 vintage has given Allacher outstanding raw material to work with. The result is a wine of real depth and distinction: fruit-forward and generous, with dark berries, a lovely spice complexity, and a texture that is, as the winemaker himself might say, spot-on. Brilliant now, and will only get better over the next five years.