Balsamia 2024 MAGNUM (RARE) is a natural wine crafted by Christian Tschida, in the Burgenland region in Austria. This rosé wine is made with 100% Syrah grapes, usually used in Felsen 2, which means there will not be a Felsen 2 wine from 2024. We tried this wine quickly at a winefair in Georgia, and we found it really rather delicious, and with a similar angle to Himmel Auf Erden Rosè in its mineralic, slightly herbacious touch.
This wine is ONLY produced as magnums. We were able to receive just 12 bottles of this rare and special wine
Whilst not seen on this borrowed photo of the bottle until we take one (thanks @Vinjoyment), there is a written dedication to Justin Cheano (RIP) who was the wine director of The Four Horsemen in New York and someone who pushed the natural wine scene forward in many ways, loved by many.
Winemaker’s note: Single vineyard, single barrel. Balsamia, a historic, synonymous name for Syrah alludes to the balsam like, pure character of this intense grape varietal expressed through the delicate voice of a rosé. It captures the vibrancy of a single plot, cultivated on skeletal limestone and magical quartz stone in its most direct reflection. From the same gnarled old Syrah-vines in the top-site Eisner than our long established red Felsen II, the intense rosé colour comes from the pure free run juice of fully ripe grapes that would equally have been perfect for deep red wine.
In 2024 though, the perfume-like intensity of the grape-juice right after harvest convincingly seduced us to follow our long cherished idea of showing the grandezza of great terroir in its purest and most direct form: premier jus of Syrah - cut free from the textural amplification and added layers that would come with maceration - gives space to showcase an aromatic precision and barrenness that equals the character of the incredibly mineral soil it grows on.
At zero maceration, the sheer intensity of texture, grip and colour is the multi-
sensoric proof of the highly concentrated aromatic ripeness outstanding terroir naturally can produce.
Vineyard: Single vineyard up on a slope below the forest, porous limestone with
loads of chalk
Making of: Hand-picked grapes, gentle to no pressing, fermented and aged in
barrel. No maceration.
Bottled unfined and unfiltered, without added sulfur, in MAGNUMS ONLY.
