Carnuntum Pinot Noir Triumphs Over the World Elite

Wijn – nieuws maandag, 9 mei 2011

(Ingezonden persbericht)

“The World’s Benchmark for Pinot Noir” was the title of the blind tasting held on April 8th at the Brasserie Les Saveurs in the St. Regis in Singapore, where the world’s most fascinating Pinot Noirs dared to be compared with those from the most expensive and most sought-after Burgundy wine estate – Domaine de la Romanée Conti.

Some 108 wine experts and wine lovers didn’t miss the chance to be served the wines of DRC – as the Burgundy legend is known amongst connoisseurs – and to pay an admission charge of 595 Singapore dollars (approximately € 330.–).

Renowned wine critics including Andrew Jefford (UK), James Halliday (Australia), Allen Meadows (USA) and experienced Pinot Noir winemakers from all over the world comprised the tasting panel. Three flights, each with five wines – one of which was a Romanée Conti wine – were served.

The experts judged the wines according to the 100 point system while the private wine lovers voted for their favourite wine. Of course, each of the tasters thought that they recognized the extremely rare and expensive DRC wine as the best one.

The surprise, however, was gigantic to say the least, when the second flight revealed an Austrian wine as the winner: the Pinot Noir Reserve 2006 by Gerhard Markowitsch from Göttlesbrunn (the Carnuntum wine region) was chosen by the participants – and by a considerable margin – as the best wine of the flight, leaving Domaine de la Romanée Conti in second place.

Also resulting from the voting, Markowitsch was named the “Most Preferred Winery” – the tasting’s overall winner. The head of the tasting, Curtis Marsh, said that “it’s not the first time that Austrian red wines, especially Pinot Noirs, have stunned the international wine scene in blind tastings. Of course, today’s results represent a singular event and not an end-all conclusion, but at least it will draw the attention of Pinot Noir lovers from all over the world to Austria and especially to Gerhard Markowitsch.”