Bottle Notes - 2022 "Merlodie" from Winzerin Birgit Wiederstein

After writing about the backgroud and history of Weingut Wiederstein in Göttlesbrunn, Austria, I’m excited to share my first bottle notes on one of winemaker Birgit Wiederstein’s selection of wines!

This bottle notes write up is on the 2022 vintage “Merlodie” merlot.

As with all of Birgit’s wine’s the bottle itself is a fun work of art, highlighting not only the unique feminine portrait, but showing a singing blackbird. The blackbird is an hommage to the Merlot grape, which gets its name from the French word for blackbird, “le merle.”

One thing I love is that Birgit presents “birth sheets” giving in-depth details on the entire winemaking process for each wine.

This information not only helps the consumer learn and understand more about the wine and winemaking process, but also reflects the transparency of how the wine is made.

By reading these sheets, you’re able to see details on the entire history of the vines and each step of what went into making the final product.

This is a 100% Merlot, BIO-certified natural wine from 23 year old vines growing on chalky soil.

The grapes for this vintage were all hand-harvested on the 23rd and the 26th September 2022 and fermented with natural yeasts before 11-14 days skin contact and carbonic maceration was carried out.

The wine underwent malolactic fermentation and aging in used oak barrels for 28 months before bottling occurred on 8th January 2025 resulting in an unfined and unfiltered final product.

This aging in used oak does not incorporate strong woody notes, but instead introduces some oxygen and neutral wood contact to the wine to give it more body and aging potential.

Deep purple in appearance, the wine presents notes of ripe blackberry, blueberry, and violets on the nose.

On the palate, there are additional notes of plum and oolong tea accompanied by silky tannins and round body.

Well-balanced, this is a wine you need to let evolve in the glass. Give it at least 20 minutes to open up and savor slowly.

This is a great pairing with a traditional Austrian Rindsuppe, Beef Goulash, or Venison Ragout. This can also pair well with savory vegetarian or vegan dishes like a mushroom and red pepper stew or a warm dumpling-based "Grießnockerlsuppe"!

This wine is drinking wonderfully young, but don't worry about holding onto the wine for up to 10 years after the vintage.

You can see more about the full selection of the wines here and follow the winery on Instagram here.

You can also reach out to me by email at ziebarthsweinstube@gmail.com and follow me on Instagram here.