• The Ott family has been growing and producing wine in the region of Wagram in Lower Austria since 1889. Bernhard Ott is of the fourth generation and has managed the winery since 1993, when he took the helm from his father. When he came home to the winery as a 21 year old, he was interested in producing wines of the highest quality. Bernhard wanted to prove that elegant and long lived wines could be produced from Grüner Veltliner grown on loess soil, specifically from Rosenberg vineyard. Bernhard replaced the old wooden casks with stainless steel and began working the vineyards with an aim for the highest high quality. In 2004 Benhard began composting, using organic cow manure from a friend in the region. In the past four years he’s used so much manure that the EU contacted him; “they didnt think it was possible to use 100,000 Euros worth of manure – they thought there was some accounting mistake. In 2006 he took a trip to the legendary biodynamic property Domaine La Romanée Conti in Vosne, with his best friend, Hans Reisetbauer. There, after a marathon tasting in the cellars with Aubert de Villaine, Bernhard committed to move to biodynamic viticulture. In 2007, with Johannes Hirsch, Fred Loimer and a group of like-minded producers, Respekt was formed. In 2014, after a very difficult harvest in which Bernhard didn’t bottle any single vineyard wines, he decided to work whole cluster saying “the stem is part of the grape. If you work without stems, you get more sweetness, more round fruit.” Today, Bernhard is looking back to previous generations for inspiration and to inform both his work in the vineyard and in the cellar. Grapes are picked at full ripeness, but thanks to biodynamic farming and composting, the sugar ripeness stays very moderate. “The compost helps with water regulation. Healthy soils give water when the weather is dry and take it back when there is too much. This also means no irrigation at all.” says Bernhard. In addition to working the soils with compost, Bernhard is a firm believer in not disrupting the eco-sysytem under the soils too much, preferring to plowing only 8cm deep. Harvest is done 100% by hand, something that is very important to note in a region who’s rolling hills and flatter landscape allow for machine harvesting. After picking and a strickt selection, the fruit is crushed in the press and maceration is done inside the press. The length of the maceration depends on the vintage, but also on the vineyard and the quality of the fruit. Bernhard uses closed pneumatic presses and has several different sizes. “This is how the press used to operate – there was only one pressing per day, so there was a maceration in the press.” explains Berhard. The juice is “browned” and racked into stainless steel where it is fermented by native yeasts without temperature control. Minimal amounts of sulfur are used at harvest and bottling and the cellar is very cold, inhibiting the development of malolactic. The single vineyard wines from the three Erste Lagen – Rosenberg, Spiegel and Stein – are on the full less until June or July before racking and bottling. The resulting wines are some of the very finest in Austria, straddling a juicy character with strong soil signatures.
  • Weingut Birgit Eichinger was founded in 1992 by Birgit Eichinger and her husband Christian, who started out with roughly nine acres of vineyards shed from her parents' business, over time the vineyard area was expanded to 23 acres in the best traditional sites of Strass. This is a single-vineyard Grüner, from a vineyard whose loess (loose and sandy) soils and southward face are perfect for the cultivation of traditional Kamptal-style Grüner. The Birgit Eichinger Grüner Veltliner Strass Kamptal impresses with its elegantly dry taste. It was put on the bottle with only 1.8 grams of residual sugar. As one can of course expect with a wine, this Austrian naturally enchants with the finest balance in all dryness. Taste doesn't necessarily need sugar. On the palate, the texture of this light-footed white wine is wonderfully light. Due to the balanced fruit acidity, the Grüner Veltliner Rhinestone Kamptal flatters with velvety mouthfeel, without missing out on juicy liveliness. The finish comes with mineral notes of the soils dominated by loess soil and sandstone.
  • Claus Preisinger has honed his skills around the world, working in vineyards in California, before returning to his Austrian roots to work for Anita and Hans Nittnaus. After branching out on his own, he has kept the respectful and honest winemaking he learned there, and is applying it a stone's throw away in the town of Gols. His "Kieselstein" Zweigelt is one of the most immediately enjoyable wines that I have had the opportunity to drink as of late. This beautifully pure Zweigelt was fermented in neutral barrels with a touch of sulphur added at bottling. Claus Preisinger has been using ambient yeasts since 2002 as well as little to no sulfites. The Preisinger wines are certified biodynamic, which Claus takes very seriously. His commitment to the environment and non-interventional winemaking shines through in the superior wines he produces.  Super fresh and juicy. Can be served chilled.
  • Blaufränkisch equals Austria. It is one of those typical, local, emerging grapes that have put Austria on the international wine market in recent years. Spicy nose with notes of ripe fruit such as currants and blackberries. The tannins are soft but present enough to structure the wine.All combines in a high-quality example of typical Blaufränkisch.
  • Gruner Veltliner is Austria’s most important indigenous grape and up until the 1990s it was relatively unheard of. Gruner Veltliner has many charms, one of them being the consistency of the quality and the flavour profile; it always delivers what it says on the tin. Ferdinand Mayr is a musician turned winemaker and his organic wines are singing with flavour and intensity. Whoever says Grüner Veltliner says Austria and vice versa. This version of Ferdinand Mayr is accessible and it charms you right away. Exuberant, lively nose of citrus, apple and white pepper. On the palate, the ripe fruit and spiciness create a pleasant tension with the acidity. Crispy and ripe, as if you were biting into a juicy apple. Flavor and spiciness characterize this wine. Fantastic with Japanese or Thai cuisine.
  • Grüner Veltliner is Austria's most famous grape variety and is considered Austria's national grape variety. The best Grüner Veltliner wines come from the northeast of the country, especially regions such as the Wachau, Kamptal and Kremstal bordering the Danube River. This wine made by Weingut Weixelbaum the winery of Heinz and Gabi Weixelbaum. Located in the village of Strasser in the Austrian Kamptal. It is a medium sized, typical Austrian winery. A family business that is passed on from generation to generation. Heinz Weixelbaum has very good vineyards on soils of 'urgestein' and 'loess', Heinz also dares to prune a lot in the spring, so that his wines are more powerful than most from the region. The Weixelbaum family only makes wine from grapes from its own 22 hectares of vineyards. Everything is done by hand and the cellar is full of the most modern equipment. The vineyards in the Kamptal owe their name to the river Kamp that flows through the area. It is one of the most prestigious Austrian wine districts. In this wine-growing region, which is part of the federal state of Lower Austria, warm and sunny summer days ensure optimal ripening of the grapes. In addition, a cooling breeze during the night guarantees flawless aromas and refined acids in the wines. The vineyards are mainly terraced along the steep banks of the river. The soil consists largely of loess, loam, gravel, sandstone and shale. Because the roots of the vines can reach up to six meters deep, the wines get a different character on every surface.
  • The Loimer estate is located around Langenlois in the sunny Kamptal region of Lower Austria, to the northwest of Vienna. Unlike many Austrian producers who go for a rich, sweet Alsace style, Fred Loimer obtains full ripeness in the vineyard yet ferments to dryness. The resulting wines (like the Loimer Riesling) display his trademark definition, zest and balance on the palate. Fred Loimer realised very early on that his future lay in wine, after his father converted the family farm into a winery. He attended Austria’s renowned Klosterneuburg University and later gained important experience at wineries in Nahe, Germany and in Napa Valley, California. On his return to Langenlois, Fred introduced new methods in the vineyards and winery, with the aim of continually improving the quality of the wine. In 1997, Fred took over the winery from his father and, in 1998, purchased and renovated a historical vaulted brick cellar (a former cellar of the Haindorf Castle) amidst the vines between Langenlois and Zöbing. The wines have been vinified and stored here since 1999. The 60 hectares of vineyards are divided into 100 parcels, planted on seven different soil types (ranging from loess, gravel, clay, sand and slate to Gföhler gneiss, a coarse-grained, metamorphic rock containing quartz, felspar and mica), which bring great complexity to the wines. There is no need to say that the high quality of their soils is crucial for the Loimer Riesling and its minerality. Situated at an altitude of 200-420m above sea level, the south facing vineyards benefit from warm days and cool nights, which encourage the development of the aromatic components in the grapes. The high summer temperatures are mitigated by the River Danube and the Waldviertel (forested area), while the well drained soils mean the vines can form deeply penetrating root systems, thus overcoming even long periods of drought without damage. Since 2006, the vineyard and cellar work has been conducted according to biodynamic principles.
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    The exciting Muhr-Van der Niepoort project began in 2002 as a collaboration between Austrian PR guru Dorli Muhr and celebrated Portuguese winemaker Dirk Niepoort. Although the name is taken from the village of Prellenkirschen, all of the grapes for the white are sourced from the Spitzerberg, or a continuation of it. A blend of 90% Gruner Veltliner (35 year old vines) and 10% Riesling (planted in 1950), the grapes see some skin contact in the fermentation, imbuing the final wine with tension and extract, a mouth-watering savoury salinity and clearly-delineated spicy flavours of white pepper, fennel and cumin. Deep and a touch wild on the palate but with enormous personality and interest, its deep savoury style will appeal to lovers of edgy yet serious food-friendly whites.
  • High on the hills of Austria there is more than just a lonely goat herd - there is also a fantastic winery, considered one of the country's best. Pittnauer has a long winemaking tradition in the region, and in 2006 moved to more biodynamic practices. The results are delicious, environmentally friendly wines with years of experience behind them. Now prepare yourself for some varieties you've probably never heard of - Pittnauer's Pitti Red Blend is made from blaufränkisch and Zweigelt grapes with a small quantity of Merlot added to the mixture. These varieties shine brightest in the Austrian climate, where they come together to make a stunningly delicious, full bodied wine reminiscent of spicy Shiraz. The ‘Pitti’ is a blend coming from vines that average 12-15 years in age and are planted on sandy clay mixed with limestone. Dark ruby in colour, the wine has tight tannins with black berries, cherries, cranberries and fresh acidic structure. Whispers of tobacco and liquorice. Ticks all the boxes of quality, drinkability and affordability and yumability.
  • Like every vintage, the Grüner Veltliner Domain Gobelsburg is the benchmark wine in this price range, balanced, juicy and delicate, that's how Veltliner is fun. Delicate spice on the nose with some Boskop apple, Williams pear and herbaceous hints of thyme and mint. On the palate a rather soft texture, gentle fruit with a nice acidic accompaniment, delicately piquant pepper, then some minerality comes through. Again one of the most harmonious entry-level Veltliners of this vintage!
  • All Sepp Moser wines have been organic (and all estate wines biodynamic) since 2007. The Sepp Moser Estate comprises of 50 acres of vineyards in two prominent wine regions; Kremstal and Neusiedlersee. Now run by Sepp's son Nikolaus, he produces an international range of varieties as well as the ever more important local varieties of Gruner Veltliner and Riesling in the Kremstal. Delicate aromas of pear, kiwi, apricot and white spice. On the palate stone fruit flavours and white pepper lead to a gently textured, mineral and citrus finish. Great with fish, Chicken or light dishes in general. Lovely on its own on hot summer day
     
     

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