Allright, where to start here.  First, a word about Schilcher.  Schilcher is a protected name for rosé wines made from the Blauer Wildbacher grape in West Styria, Austria.  There is a great tradition with these wines, and they represent one of the few truly noble rosé wine styles (even as a still wine, Schilcher is at it’s best after 5-7 years of ageing, and lasts up to 20).  Though he is not the the only producer making méthode champenoise Schilcher sparkling wine, Franz Strohmeier is one of only a handful, and the results are unbelievably wonderful.

The characteristic flavors of Schilcher are intense, gamey, cassis and wild blackberry, with a sort of floral character providing complexity, and a little bit of a peppery undertone.  And while one might expect these characters to be somewhat muted in the sparkling wine production process, in fact they show beautifully, with the added complexity that only a second fermentation and the resulting autolysis and Reaction Maillard can give to a wine.  On top of that, the bubbles in this wine are as fine as any Champagne, and the hints of tannins from the skin contact provide what can only be described as a pleasant shock to the palate, and a great starting point for food pairings.

Franz Strohmeier is a leading Schilcher producer, and is in the process of transforming his vineyards to completely biodynamic farming.  He is also striving to eliminate all sulphur additions.  But his main goal, is to make the truest wines he can, that show the soil, the grapes and the vintages effortlessly.  The wines really are stunning, especially considering that they are virtually unknown outside of Austria.  This is one situation where a little bit of adveturous drinking spirit pays off in spades.

Try this wine with white sausage like Weisswurst, Schnitzel, and salads.  Also try this with all manner of pork, as it it is the nearly perfect foil.  Drink it now – 2010 (though I suspect it will be wonderful for a long time after).