The winery
*2008
The Wachau is like hardly any other wine-growing region strongly influenced by the terraced vineyards with their ancient dry stone walls. These are not only responsible for the visual appeal for which the Wachau is so famous; they are also responsible for the worldwide unique character that unites the wines of the Wachau.
The manual cultivation of the terraces is extremely laborious (about 5 times more work compared to drivable vineyards). Therefore, many of the old terraces are threatened by abandonment, which would change the landscape of the Wachau in the medium term.
I have made it my goal to acquire exposed terraces with mainly old vines and to save them from being cleared. Although this can only be done by hand - without machines - I am convinced: the wine qualities are so unique, full of character and spectacular that it is worth the effort.
The majority of the vines are between 30 and 70 years old. Drinking flow and storage life of the wines are the main focus of all decisions of the work. The processing of healthy grapes without Botrytis fungus infestation is the highest priority. This results in fine, highly elegant wines with filigree minerality and lots of tension.
(Organic control contract since August 2008 with "Lacon" for grape production)
The vineyards
The name of this wine is program, whereby the grapes of the vintages 2012 and 2013 come from different terrace vineyards with partly old vines (Bruck, Schön, Buschenberg, Hochrain, Loibenberg etc). In each case the quantities were too small to fill them separately. However, these are sites for potential top quality, mostly on primary rock.
On the terraced slopes of the "Hochrain" in Wösendorf my Grüner Veltliner stands on deep loess. The wines here develop nutty and spicy with yellow-fruity aromas. Compared to the Veltliners from the primary rock, the "Hochrain" is a precise example of how much the soil influences the character of the wine.
Located northwest above Weissenkirchen. The vineyard is planted with the oldest of all my vines (over 60 years). They produce small grapes with small berries and a naturally low yield. Instead of the peppery spiciness typical of Grüner Veltliner, the berries, like the wine, taste yellow-fruity like melon and reineclauden.
Although the "Bruck" site is considered the best and warmest in Viessling, it is nevertheless one of the coolest, because it is also the highest in the Wachau. Viessling can be seen as a counterpoint to the much warmer terroir of the east of the Wachau. My Rieslings here develop a unique fruitiness with spicy notes and a delicate minerality.
The vineyard is cultivated entirely by hand without a tractor.
Brandstatt is my recultivation project in the Spitzer Graben, the coolest area of the Wachau, at about 450 m above sea level. The originally neglected mica slate vineyard was gradually replanted with Riesling after the walls were repaired. My aim is to press an uncompromising wine on this original terraced vineyard, in which the terroir and an old winemaking tradition are more important than the grape variety. This may involve maceration as well as long ageing in local acacia barrels.
The Buschenberg site lies to the east of the Klaus vineyard and is relatively unknown, as many winegrowers cultivate small plots and hardly any single-vineyard wines have been bottled to date. Large primary rock Riesling soils with low growth potential produce reductive, mineral Riesling with a high ageing potential.
The vines were planted in 1979 and are not suitable for tractors - purely manual work in the vineyard.
This wine, untypical for the Wachau, is only available in exceptional years. The result is then a residual sweet Riesling with a low alcohol content, a lot of fruity sweetness and racy acidity, resulting in a very juicy wine. Ideal with artichokes!
This local wine from the warmest, eastern part of the Wachau comes from two terraces on the Loibenberg and the Kreutles reed.
Impressions...
