Botanical illustration of a blue-black grape cluster with leaf and tendril.

St. Laurent

red · vinifera

Origin: Uncertain; usually given as Austria (Pinot Noir × unknown (possibly Savagnin))
Where it grows: Poland, Czechia
Typical winemaking: steel or older oak; dry, moderate extraction

The story

St. Laurent's origin is uncertain; it is usually given as Austria. Its one known parent is Pinot Noir, and it is in turn a parent of Zweigelt and of Rondo. In Czechia, as Svatovavřinecké, it is a signature red. In Poland it grows around Sandomierz, on loess over limestone.

It is usually darker than Pinot Noir and a little rounder: sour cherry, blackberry, a smoky, earthy edge, soft tannin and fresh acidity. In Slovakia it is Svätovavrinecké, in Hungary Szent Lőrinc.