Based in the Kremstal, just outside Vienna, Michael Malat is an ascendant star turning out incredibly vivid iterations of the region’s favored grapes: Riesling and Grüner Veltliner. But there’s more: He also crafts one of the most compelling Austrian Pinot Noirs we’ve ever tasted.

Malat’s vineyards are scattered around the village of Furth, on the southern slopes of the Danube river, and contain complex soils that are heavy with alluvial stones and calcareous underpinnings. The sites are warmed by the Pannonian winds, flowing from the east. The western parts of Kremstal are geologically and climatically similar to the nearby Wachau, but here they’ll show riper aromatics and more generosity.

This is a gorgeously perfumed, fruit-driven style of Pinot Noir crafted from 100% de-stemmed grapes fermented in stainless steel and aged one year in large oak casks. Shining a bright garnet-red in the glass, it starts with a ripe gush of tangy Alpine berries and keeps the thrills coming, with notes of forest floor, black pepper, loose tea, and smoke carried on a refreshing wave of acidity. Tannins are ultra-fine and firm. It’s a clean and precise Pinot that radiates energy, ready for enjoying in the near term. Serve at 60 degrees in Burgundy stems with an old red Burgundy standby like stuffed roast chicken.