Anton Kollwentz introduced the star grape of the Medoc to Burgenland in 1981, and his 2006 Cabernet Sauvignon – which I tasted from barrel – certainly makes a powerful statement. (A tiny bit of Zweigelt is present to add some flux, it would seem.) Black tea, pepper, tobacco, and cassis are joined by a somewhat superficially vanilla and caramel cast from the oak. Firm and dense in the mouth, this finishes with considerable tannin and Syrah-like peppery pungency, and will no doubt stand up to at least 8-10 years of bottle age. The Kollwentzes – Andi and father Anton Kollwenz – produce some of Austria’s most celebrated and expensive wines, and one would be hard-pressed to find two more conscientious or engaging vintners with whom to discuss their craft. I continue however to take highly variable satisfaction in the wines at this address, their reds and their single-vineyard Chardonnays often striking me as a bit stiff and overly-oaky, whereas the purity and longevity of their nobly sweet wines consistently impress, and I find their Sauvignon one of the world’s best (albeit little known outside Austria).Importer: Vin Divino, Chicago, IL; tel. (773) 334-6700