Z Red Wine Cuvée – 2019

Z Red Wine Cuvée from the Palatinate by Oliver Zeter

Z Red Wine Cuvée by Oliver Zeter is a powerful Palatinate red wine made from Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, and Syrah from old vineyards in the Mittelhaardt. In the 2019 vintage, berry fruit, a spice reminiscent of red bell pepper, and velvety richness meet.

Z Red Wine Cuvée 2019 is a Cabernet-dominated red wine from Oliver Zeter in the Palatinate, matured for one year in French oak barriques. At 13.5% vol, it appears ripe, dense, and powerful while remaining velvety soft.

Blackberry, pickled plum, and red bell pepper

This red wine cuvée from the Palatinate smells of ripe wild cranberries and blackberries, all the way to pickled plums and cassis. Underlying this is a fine spice reminiscent of red bell pepper. It is typical of the two Cabernet varieties and keeps the dark fruit lively.

On the palate, the wine is dense and powerful, yet its tannins feel velvety because they had time to round off in wood. A balance emerges between berry fruit and pepper spice that keeps it exciting until the very last sip. After bottling, the 2019 vintage rested in the bottle for at least twelve months before being released for sale.

Old vines, pebble soils, and halved bunches

The grapes for this Palatinate red wine cuvée grow in old vineyards across various sites in the Mittelhaardt, on light soils full of pebbles that warm up quickly in the sun. This is a good location for heat-loving varieties like Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, and Syrah because their berries can ripen there over a long period.

To ensure each vine concentrates its strength on a small number of bunches, the grapes are usually halved in the summer. This leaves less on the vine, but makes the remaining berries denser and more aromatic. Harvesting is done by hand as late as the weather and the condition of the grapes allow.

In Oliver Zeter's cellar, the grapes ferment on the skins for two weeks before the young wine is moved into French oak barriques for one year. This is also where malolactic fermentation takes place, which makes the acidity softer and the wine rounder.

Venison ragout, leg of lamb, and aged mountain cheese

With a venison ragout with cranberries, a pink-roasted leg of lamb with rosemary, or a piece of aged mountain cheese, this powerful cuvée sits confidently on the table. Its tannins catch fat and roasted aromas, giving each bite new momentum. The pepper spice finds an echo in rosemary and juniper, and the cranberry fruit in the ragout answers the berries in the glass.

It shows its fruit most clearly at 16 to 18 degrees, which is slightly cooler than typical room temperature. Half an hour in a decanter gives it additional air, allowing the fragrance and tannins to unfold.

You can find the following vintage in the Z Red Wine Cuvée 2020, which is made from the same three grape varieties. A cuvée of Syrah and Merlot is the Petz Red Wine 2023. Our other offerings from the winery can be found in the Oliver Zeter collection.

Z Red Wine Cuvée 2019 – A red wine and its values

• Origin Germany
• Region Palatinate
• Oliver Zeter, Neustadt an der Weinstraße
• Grape varieties 65% Cabernet Sauvignon, 25% Cabernet Franc, 10% Syrah
• Maturation in barriques
• 13.5% vol alcohol
• 0.2 g/l residual sugar
• 5.0 g/l acidity