WTN: Enormously fun, "modest" Austrian red

I enjoyed a bottle of an old favorite of mine that has been available for an amazingly long time at Alko (since the 2004 vintage!). I hope it will continue to be available for a long time. All vintages so far have been amazing quality for the price we pay (remember where I'm from ).

Weingut Willi Bründlmayer Zweigelt 2007

12% abv; still good value though the price has gone up from 12,20€ to 13,95€. But there has been a wonderful change since the 2006: this is now under screwcap!

The scent reminds me of an elegant style of N. Rhone Syrah: much pepper when first opened, dark and meaty but juicy fruit. Medium-light body and with much fun and vibrant fruitiness, but also intense and racy from the palate-cleansing bite of structure. No new oak aromas (it sees only big casks). Though a cross of Blaufränkisch and St. Laurent, Bründlmayer's has seemed to me more like a hypothetical cross of Syrah and Gamay. Hugely enjoyable, light wine (those vintages like '04 and '07 that stay below 12,5% abv have seemed to me most successful).

Otto, it always amazes me that ALKO can offer some very unusual wines like this one (bad english sorry). Interesting response on UK forum eh.
Very little Zweigelt shows up here, and when it does often a no-name winery.