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THE VINTAGES 2019—Among The Very Best A vintage of great critical acclaim and highly rated wines. An ideal growing season preceded near-perfect harvest conditions with dramatic shifts between day and night temperatures. The resulting wines are ripe with pronounced acidic structure and vivid aromas. Superb quality in all categories.

2018—Fruit-Driven Whites and Outstanding Reds A warm and dry growing season resulted in an early harvest with ripe but healthy fruit and must weights like those of 2017. In general, acidity levels are slightly lower than the previous vintage, and both white and red grapes achieved their full potential of fruit character and aromatic expression. Exceptional vintage in Burgenland.

2017—Superb Overall After a cool start, 2017 was a Spring of alternating warm and cold before warming up for good for the remainder of the growing season. Harvest began two weeks earlier than usual before temperatures cooled and picking continued into the beautiful autumn. Grüner Veltliner and Styrian Sauvignon Blanc show classic profiles while Riesling is especially racy. Another excellent vintage for Austria’s red wines.

2016—A Small Vintage of Balance and Freshness A warm winter and early budding left some vineyards vulnerable to a late April frost that dramatically reduced yields in certain regions. While Styria was especially hard-hit, Vienna and most of the Danube River Valley went relatively unscathed. The vintage was saved by sunny and stable August weather giving white wines of purity and freshness and red wines that offer deep fruit and structure.

2015—Ripe Fruit, Depth, Complexity A hot and dry summer caused stress in some vineyards until a mid-August rain cooled everything down. Perfect weather then followed, and the harvest took place in near perfect conditions. Sunny days and cool nights resulted in wines with ripeness and extract coupled with balancing acidity. A brilliant vintage for both red and white wines.

2014—Cool Vintage, Fresh and Fine Grüner Veltliner and Riesling Fans of acidity and lean to medium-bodied wines will appreciate the results of this challenging vintage. Top producers took great care to only select the ripest, healthiest fruit and much sorting was necessary to produce the finest wines. An especially successful vintage for Fritz Wieninger in Vienna and the two icons of the Wachau: Rudi Pichler and Prager. Cover Photo: © Austrian Wine Marketing Board

DISCOVER

AUSTRIA DAC The acronym, now commonplace on Austrian wine labels, stands for Districtus Austriae Controllatus (DAC) and means that the region has a protected designation of origin for wines of specified varieties and style. DAC is like the French concept of AOC although implemented much later, the first DAC being the Weinviertal in 2003. Wines that do not meet the DAC requirement bear the name of the respective federal state.

RIED The term Ried is unique to Austria and is not used in other parts of German-speaking Europe. It has a meaning like “climat” in Burgundy, a legally defined single vineyard site, often with a known and historic name. Ried is an old word dating to at least the Middle Ages and is now required on the label for all single vineyard wines produced in Austria.

TRADITIONAL WINE ESTATES OF AUSTRIA What began in 2010 as a 23-member association of traditional wine estates, the Traditionsweingüter Österreich has grown to 62 wineries in 6 different regions. The group maintains a private classification of vineyard sites with 81 vineyards classified as Erste Lage (premier cru), indicated by the symbol “1ÖTW.” Fred Loimer, Weingut Stadt Krems, and Fritz Wieninger are members of this prestigious group.

RESPEKT Respekt is a certifying body for biodynamic farming co-founded by Fred Loimer and established in 2006. Membership is currently small with just 23 members in 3 countries: Austria, Germany, and Italy. Respekt differs slightly from other certifications in that it emphasizes wine quality over strict rules and dogma. Fred Loimer, Fritz Wieninger, and Gernot Heinrich are all certified biodynamic by Respekt.

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WACHAU World Cultural Heritage coupled with a landscape that is nothing short of inspirational—welcome to the Wachau, the narrow Danube River Valley running from Melk to Krems. Extraordinarily distinctive wines grow here on 1,344 hectares, a great many of them on steeply terraced hillsides, wines which may be declared as “Wachau DAC” as of the 2020 vintage. Some of the world’s greatest white wines, with decades of potential for development, are produced from the best vineyard sites, especially from Grüner Veltliner and Riesling.

PRAGER Franz Prager, a co-founder of the Vinea Wachau, had already earned a reputation for his wines when Toni Bodenstein married into the family. Bodenstein, a biologist, geologist, and historian, spent years studying the geology of the region and focused much of his attention on preserving genetic diversity. Bodenstein’s scholarly approach, passion for biodiversity, and brilliant winemaking have elevated Prager to the highest echelon of Austrian wine producers.

Prager Grüner Veltliner Federspiel Ried Hinter Der Burg Wachau 2019 Ried Hinter der Burg, meaning “behind the old castle” of Weißenkirchen, is a southeast-facing site with sedimentary soils, rich in humus and containing “shotte” stones from the old Danube. The vineyard benefits from sitting just below the Hinter Seiber and its deep soils are especially well-suited to Grüner Veltliner. Prager produces only Grüner Veltliner Federspiel from this site.

Prager Riesling Federspiel Ried Steinriegl Wachau 2019 Steinriegl is planted to Riesling and is Prager’s only vineyard west of Weißenkirchen. The exceptionally steep, southwest-facing site has a cool mesoclimate due to its proximity to the forest, and its soil is a unique “kalksilikatmarmor,” a limestone silicate marble rarely found elsewhere in the Wachau. Bodenstein produces both an earlierpicked Federspiel and a later-picked Smaragd.

Prager Grüner Veltliner Smaragd Ried Achleiten Wachau 2018 Ried Achleiten sits east of Weißenkirchen and is one of the most famous vineyards in the Wachau. The steeply terraced vineyard has existed since Roman times. Some sections have just 40 cm of topsoil over the bedrock of Gföler Gneiss, amphibolitic stone, and slate. “Destroyed soil,” as Toni Bodenstein likes to say.

Prager Grüner Veltliner Smaragd Ried Achleiten Stockkultur Wachau 2016 Stockkultur is a 0.3-hectare plot at the top of Achleiten and was purchased by Toni Bodenstein in 2005. The name refers to the old style of training each vine to a single stake; the traditional method of vine cultivation in the Wachau before the 1950s. The vines planted in 1938 are among the oldest in the Wachau.

Prager Grüner Veltliner Smaragd Wachstum Bodenstein Wachau 2019, 2017 Wachstum, meaning “Growth” or “Cru,” is a nursery for Toni Bodenstein who planted 110 different clones of Grüner Veltliner in an abandoned terrace at the top of Achleiten. When initially planted in 1997, the goal of Wachstum Bodenstein was to preserve biodiversity. It is now one of Prager’s most sought-after wines.

Prager Riesling Smaragd Ried Achleiten Wachau 2017 Achleiten sits east of Weißenkirchen and is one of the most famous vineyards in the Wachau. The steeply terraced vineyard existed in Roman times. Some sections have just 40 cm of topsoil over the bedrock of Gföler Gneiss, amphibolitic stone, and slate. “Destroyed soil,” as Toni Bodenstein likes to say.

Prager Riesling Smaragd Ried Klaus Wachau 2018 Klaus sits adjacent to Achleiten and is one of Wachau’s most famous vineyards for Riesling. The vineyard is incredibly steep with a gradient of 77% at its steepest point. The southeast-facing terraced vineyard of dark migmatite-amphibolite and paragneiss produces a tightly wound and powerful wine. The parcel belonging to Toni Bodenstein was planted in 1952.

Prager Riesling Smaragd Wachstum Bodenstein Wachau 2019, 2018, 2014 Wachstum, meaning “Growth” or “Cru,” is a nursery for Toni Bodenstein who has planted over 60 different nursery clones of Riesling 460 meters in elevation at the top of Hinter Seiber. When planted in 1990, the goal of Wachstum Bodenstein was to preserve biodiversity. First produced in 1993, it is now one of Prager’s most sought-after wines.

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WACHAU (continued)

RUDI PICHLER Rudi Pichler is among the elite growers of the Wachau producing wines of precision, power, and longevity. The cellar is based in the village of Wösendorf where generations of Pichler's have tended vines since 1731. Pichler belongs to the prestigious Vinea Wachau and vinifies under the strict parameters of their codex. He was awarded Falstaff’s Vintner of the Year in 2010.

Rudi Pichler Grüner Veltliner Federspiel Wachau 2019 Rudi Pichler’s philosophy in the vineyard and cellar are clearly seen in his Grüner Veltliner Federspiel. Rudi takes great care to harvest healthy grapes that are ripe but free of botrytis. Grapes are crushed by foot and receive a short maceration on the skins before fermentation. Vinification is entirely in stainless-steel tanks and malolactic fermentation is avoided.

Rudi Pichler Grüner Veltliner Smaragd Ried Achleithen Wachau 2019, 2018 Rudi Pichler Riesling Smaragd Ried Achleithen Wachau 2019, 2018 Achleithen, from “ach” meaning water path and “leithen” referring to the slope, is a terraced vineyard in Weißenkirchen sitting between 200 and 400 meters of elevation. Rudi Pichler’s parcel lies in the small section of Achleithen that faces west where weathered Gföler Gneiss dominates the upper terraces. Achleithen is one of the most famous vineyards in the Wachau and gives wines that are distinctly mineral.

Rudi Pichler Grüner Veltliner Smaragd Terrassen Wachau 2019, 2018 Rudi Pichler Riesling Smaragd Terrassen Wachau 2019 From terraced vineyards in Wösendorf, Joching, and Weißenkirchen. Grapes are crushed by foot and receive a short maceration on the skins before fermentation. Vinification is entirely in stainless-steel tanks and malolactic fermentation is avoided.

Rudi Pichler Riesling Smaragd Ried Kirchweg Wachau 2019, 2016 Kirchweg, or “church path,” gets its name from a former path to the nearby church of St. Michael. The vineyard faces southeast and rises gently towards the bottom of Hochrain. Rudi Pichler’s vines are planted near the foot of Hochrain where sedimentary soils provide excellent conditions for Riesling.

Rudi Pichler Grüner Veltliner Smaragd Ried Hochrain Wachau 2018 Rudi Pichler Riesling Smaragd Ried Hochrian Wachau 2016 Hochrain, a name meaning “high place,” is a southeast-facing terraced vineyard in Wösendorf sitting between 200 and 300 meters of elevation. The vineyard consists of an unusually high content of loess, a mineral-laden soil that produces wines that are especially broad and rich.

Rudi Pichler Grüner Veltliner Smaragd Ried Kollmütz Wachau 2019, 2018 Kollmütz is a terraced vineyard in Wösendorf sitting between 200 and 400 meters of elevation. The soils of Kollmütz developed from an ancient landslide resulting in chaotic layers of rock and boulders. The vineyard is particularly rich in magnesium and iron. Wines from Kollmütz are typically linear, dense, and intensely mineral.

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KAMPTAL The Kamptal takes its name from the Kamp River which flows through the region before joining the Danube. The Kamptal is best known for Grüner Veltliner and Riesling and boasts a high proportion of outstanding vineyards and quality wine producers. The dominant soil type is Löss which gives a rounder, broader character to the Grüner Veltliner grown here. Riesling is another Kamptal specialty, mainly found in shallower and rocky soils. The Kamptal DAC may be used for Grüner Veltliner and Riesling while other varieties take the designation of Niederösterreich (Lower Austria).

FRED LOIMER Fred Loimer’s winery is located near the village of Langenlois in the heart of the Kamptal and produces classic expressions of Kamptal Grüner Veltliner and Riesling. Fred is also among a handful of Kamptal wineries producing outstanding Winzersket (grower-producer sparkling wine). The strength of the estate lies in its vineyards with holdings in top Erste Lagen: Seeberg, Käferberg, Steinmassl, Spiegel, and Heiligenstein. The winemaking here is as exacting as any producer in Austria, resulting in a style of clarity, freshness, and straightforward elegance. Certified biodynamic by Respekt.

Loimer Sekt Extra Brut Reserve NV Extra Brut Reserve is a blend of Zweigelt, Pinot Noir, Grüner Veltliner, and Chardonnay, made in the traditional method using indigenous yeasts for alcoholic fermentation followed by full malolactic fermentation in stainless steel tanks. It is aged for eighteen months on the lees in bottle before disgorgement and finished with a low dosage.

Loimer Gemischter Satz mit ACHTUNG! Österreich 2015 This field blend of Grüner and Roter Veltliner, Weißer and Roter Riesling, Welschriesling, and Traminer was destemmed with the berries left intact. The grapes spontaneously ferment in oak casks for four weeks before pressing followed by an additional six months aging on the full lees. The wine is bottled unfiltered with a small addition of sulfur.

Loimer Sekt Brut Rosé Reserve NV Brut Rosé Reserve is a blend of Zweigelt, Pinot Noir, and Sankt Laurent, made in the traditional method using indigenous yeasts for alcoholic fermentation followed by full malolactic fermentation in stainless steel tanks. It is aged for eighteen months on the lees in bottle before disgorgement and finished with a low dosage.

Loimer Grüner Veltliner Ried Käferberg 1ÖTW Kamptal DAC 2016 Käferberg, meaning “beetle hill,” is a southeast-facing terraced site sitting at an elevation between 310 and 345 meters. The soil varies with crystalline rock mixed with clay marl, sand, and gravel. The vineyard is relatively cool and gives dense wines with firm acidity and a spicy identity. Fermented spontaneously and aged in large wooden casks.

Loimer Riesling Ried Seeberg 1ÖTW Kamptal DAC 2016, 2015, 2014 Seeberg is a vineyard with mica schist bedrock and very little topsoil, and schilf (lake grass) visible on the surface. This schilf is evidence of the “lake on a hill” that was once there. The southwest-facing vineyard sits between 245 and 305 meters of elevation and gives a Riesling that is crystalline and pure. Fermented spontaneously and aged part in large wooden casks, part in stainless steel tanks.

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KREMSTAL Krems is one of the oldest settlements in Austria dating to 995 A.D. and has played an important role in the wine trade ever since. Kremstal is a tiny region sandwiched between Kamptal and Wachau along the Danube River. Its loam and loess soils on its east side transition into the more primary rock near the Wachau border. Some of Kremstal’s best sites belong to Senftenberg northwest of Krems and on steep terraces facing the Danube in the village of Stein. The Kremstal DAC may be used for Grüner Veltliner and Riesling while other varieties take the designation of Niederösterreich (Lower Austria).

STADT KREMS Stadt Krems is a small winery belonging to the city of Krems and is among the oldest wine producers in Austria. It was established in 1452 to provide revenue for the hospital of Krems and has experienced a renaissance of quality since the addition of winemaker Fritz Miesbauer in 2003. Miesbauer’s goal is to produce clean wines with an emphasis on freshness and finesse which has been achieved by significant investment in the vineyards and cellar under his direction. Stadt Krems owns some of Kremstal’s best erste lagen along the Danube including most of the top Riesling site Grillenparz.

Grüner Veltliner Stein Kremstal DAC 2017 Grüner Veltliner Stein Kremstal DAC Reserve is an “Ortswein” or village-level wine intended to capture the typicity of Stein, a Stadtteil (district) of Krems. Stein borders the Wachau and marks the start of the primary rock-based soils that typify the Wachau. From two terraced vineyards: Steiner Altenberg with gneiss and slate; and Steiner Gaisberg with schist and amphibolite. Vinified in stainless steel tanks.

Grüner Veltliner Ried Wachtberg 1ÖTW Kremstal DAC 2017, 2012 Wachtberg lies behind the town of Krems, a high terraced hill that roughly translates as “Lookout Mountain.” Wachtberg reaches a height of 400 meters with a bedrock of gneiss and schist covered by extensive deposits of calcareous loess. Vinified in stainless steel tanks.

Riesling Ried Grillenparz 1ÖTW Kremstal DAC 2017 Grillenparz lies near the Wachau border and is a south-facing terraced hill with layers of gneiss, mica-schist, and calcareous conglomerates. Grillenparz translates as a “cricket plot” and owes its name to the heat retaining soil that makes this both an attractive habitat for crickets and an ideal site for Riesling.

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WIEN (VIENNA) The city of Vienna with its 1.9 million people is the only European capital that is also a major producer of wine. Over 700 ha of vines can be found within the city limits, concentrated primarily in the city’s 19th and 21st districts which are near the Danube River. A field blend known as Gemischter Satz is the classic Viennese wine and became an official DAC in 2013. Wiener Gemischter Satz DAC must consist of at least three white varieties with no single variety making up more than 50% of the blend. While most enjoyed in the city’s taverns, a handful of producers led by Fritz Wieninger are making Viennese wine internationally known.

FRITZ WIENINGER The Wieninger winery was born out of the family’s traditional Viennese wine bar and is currently run by fourth-generation Fritz Wieninger. The winery and heurige are located on the outskirts of Vienna in the 21st district where vines have been cultivated since Roman times and continue to produce a traditional field blend known as Gemischter Satz. Fritz Wieninger farms his 50 hectares of vines under the biodynamic certification of the Respekt group and is a member of Österreichische Traditionsweingüter.

Wieninger Ried Ulm 1ÖTW Nußberg Wiener Gemischter Satz DAC 2018, 2016 Ried Ulm sits on the Nußberg at 360 meters above downtown Vienna with limestone and clay soils. This mixed planting of nine varieties includes Weißburgunder, Neuburger, Welschriesling, Grüner Veltliner, Sylvaner, Zierfandler, Rotgipfler, Traminer, and Riesling. The grapes are co-planted, harvested together, and co-fermented with natural yeasts in stainless steel tanks.

Wieninger Ried Rosengartl 1ÖTW Nußberg Wiener Gemischter Satz DAC 2018 Ried Rosengartl sits on the Nußberg and was one of the most soughtafter wines in the days of the Habsburgs. Fritz is proud to have acquired an old Gemischter Satz vineyard here consisting of five grapes: Grüner Veltliner, Weißburgunder, Neuburger, Traminer, and Riesling. The vines are co-planted, and the grapes are harvested together and cofermented with natural yeasts in stainless steel tanks.

Wieninger Trilogie Wien 2016 Wiener Trilogie comes exclusively from the Bisamberg and is a blend of Zweigelt, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Merlot. The three varieties are vinified separately in large wooden casks or stainless-steel tanks before aging in up to 20% new French barriques for 20 months before blending and bottling.

Wiener Gemischter Satz DAC 2019 Wiener Gemischter Satz DAC comes from 70% Bisamberg and 30% Nußberg and is a traditional field blend where several varieties are coplanted, co-harvested and fermented together. This field blend of 11 varieties includes Grüner Veltliner, Weißburgunder, Welschriesling, and Chardonnay with small contributions from Riesling, Rotgipfler, Zierfandler, Sylvaner, Traminer, and Neuburger.

Wieninger Bisamberg Wiener Gemischter Satz DAC 2017 Bisamberg comes from a 60-year-old vineyard named Hochfeld that Fritz took over in 2011. The vineyard planting is approximately 40% Weißburgunder (Pinot Blanc), 40% Grauburgunder (Pinot Gris), and 20% Chardonnay. The three varieties are planted in blocks and harvested concurrently, then co-fermented with natural yeasts in stainless steel tanks.

Wieninger Pinot Noir Select Wien 2017 Pinot Noir Select comes mainly from the Bisamberg as well as a vineyard on the Nußberg. Fritz believes Vienna’s cooler climate and limestone-clay soils provide the best conditions for Pinot Noir in Austria. The grapes are destemmed and fermented in stainless steel tanks before aging in 25% new Burgundian pièce for 18 months. The wine is bottled without fining or filtration.

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BURGENLAND Burgenland borders Hungary and enjoys a warmer climate thanks to the Pannonian Plain and the moderating effect of Lake Neusiedl. These unique conditions produce Austria’s best red and sweet white wines. Three red grapes are common, but Blaufränkisch is perhaps the most exciting red varietal giving wines of medium weight and deep color. The thin-skinned and low-tannin St. Laurent shows its linkage to Pinot Noir, while fruity and easy-drinking Zweigelt is a crossing of the two. Pinot Noir and Bordeaux varietals have also had a long history in Burgenland.

SZIGETI Szigeti (pronounced ZIG-it-ee) was part of the new wave of Austrian sparkling wine producers in the 1990s who focused on high-quality, traditional method Sekt. Szigeti operates as a négociant, buying fruit from contracted growers and owning no vineyards. A broad range of wines are produced, all by the traditional method, and all made in fresh style with clear varietal expression.

Szigeti Cuvée Prestige Brut 2017 Cuvée Prestige Brut is a blend of Chardonnay, Pinot Blanc, and Blaufränkisch, hand-harvested from contracted growers in Burgenland and Niederösterreich. Alcoholic fermentation with Champagne yeasts in stainless steel tanks precedes second fermentation in bottle and thirty-one months aging en tirage. Riddling is by gyropalette, and the dosage is with local sweet wine.

Szigeti Gustav Klimt Adele Blanc de Blancs 2017 Gustav Klimt Adele Blanc de Blancs Brut produced from 100% Chardonnay, is hand-harvested from growers in Leithaberg. Alcoholic fermentation with Champagne yeasts in stainless steel tanks precedes second fermentation in bottle and twenty months en tirage. Riddling is by gyropalette, and the dosage is with local sweet wine. The portrait of Adele Bloch-Bauer on the label is from Klimt’s golden phase. The painting lives today at the Neue Galerie in New York.

Szigeti Grüner Veltliner Brut NV Grüner Veltliner Brut is hand-harvested from contracted growers in Burgenland and Niederösterreich. Alcoholic fermentation with Champagne yeasts in stainless steel tanks precedes second fermentation in bottle and twelve months aging en tirage. Riddling is by gyropalette, and the dosage is with local sweet wine.

Szigeti Pinot Noir Rosé Brut NV Szigeti Pinot Noir Rosé Brut is produced from 100% Pinot Noir and is hand-harvested from contracted growers in Gols and the Leithaberg. Whole clusters go direct to press where they’re pressed gently to a maximum of 60% and kept there just long enough to achieve the desired rosé color. The wine is aged twelve months en tirage before disgorgement.

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BURGENLAND (continued) GERNOT AND HEIKE HEINRICH The Heinrich winery is in the winemaking village of Gols near Lake Neusiedl in the red wine focused Burgenland region of Austria. Gernot and Heike Heinrich founded their winery in 1990 with just one hectare which has grown to 100 hectares of vines certified biodynamic by Respekt and Demeter. The classic Austrian red varietals, Zweigelt, Blaufränkisch, and St. Laurent are the specialty. In recent years, the focus has turned to Blaufränkisch from the nearby Leithaberg DAC, and to “Freyheit,” a line of wines produced with minimal intervention in the cellar.

Heinrich Naked White 2018 Naked White is a blend of several white varieties sourced from the limestone and schist of the Leithaberg, and the gravelly, humus-rich soils near Gols. Grapes are macerated with the stems overnight and both the alcoholic and malolactic fermentation are spontaneous. Aged for 14 months on the lees in used large oak casks and bottled unfined and unfiltered without the addition Sulphur.

Heinrich Sankt Laurent Burgenland 2013 Sankt Laurent (pronounced “Zankt LAUER-ent”) is an Austrian specialty and has similar characteristics to Pinot Noir. This wine comes from two different areas near Lake Neusiedl: Heideboden, the humus-rich area on the east side of the Lake; and Rosenberg, an eastfacing slope of the Leithaberg that is marked by mica-schist. The wine is aged for 25 months in wooden vats and used 500-liter oak barrels.

Heinrich Blaufränkisch Leithaberg DAC 2017 Blaufränkisch Leithaberg DAC comes from southeast-facing vineyards on the Leitha Mountain overlooking Lake Neusiedl. Red wines from Leithaberg DAC must be produced from 100% Blaufränkisch. After spontaneous fermentation in wooden vats, the wine is aged for 20 months in used 500-liter oak barrels. The fossil-rich limestone and mica schist that define the Leithaberg DAC lend a distinctive salty taste to the wine.

Heinrich Ried Gabarinza Burgenland 2017 Gabarinza, the name referring to a “cleared forest,” is one of Austria’s greatest red-wine vineyards. This historic vineyard has been cultivated since Roman times and is perched along a promontory of magnesiumrich sandy loam with an ideal exposition facing southwest towards Lake Neusiedl. This blend of Zweigelt, Blaufränkisch, and Merlot was hand-harvested and spontaneously fermented, with 18 months maturation in used 500-liter oak barrels.

Heinrich Blaufränkisch Burgenland 2016 Blaufränkisch comes from two areas: the limestone and schist soils of the Leithaberg; and the sandy loam soils of the south-facing slope of the Parndorfer Platte in Gols. The grapes were hand-harvested and fermented with wild yeasts in a combination of wooden vats and stainless-steel tanks before maturing in large oak vats and used 500-liter barrels.

Heinrich Zweigelt Burgenland 2016 Zweigelt is an important variety at Heinrich representing half of the total production. The grapes come from flat, humus-rich plots in the Heideboden, gravelly sites on the Parndorfer Platte, and the limestone and schist slopes of the Leithaberg. The grapes are hand harvested, fermented with wild yeasts, and aged for eight months in 500-liter oak barrels.

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SÜDSTEIERMARK (STYRIA) South Styria (“Südsteiermark” in German) is the smallest of Styria’s three wine-growing regions and lies in the south of Austria near the Slovenian border. The region specializes in aromatic and refreshing dry white wines and is a world-class terroir for Sauvignon Blanc. Styria, sometimes called the “Green heart of Austria,” is exceptionally beautiful with vineyards planted on steep hillsides overlooking valleys of forests and meadows. The vineyards of Weingut Sattlerhof are centered around the village of Gamlitz, located less than 10km from the Slovenian border, and includes several top vineyards rated premier cru and grand cru by the STK group.

SATTLERHOF Sattlerhof is a leading producer in Austria’s South Styria region and produces benchmark examples of Styrian Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay, and Pinot Blanc. Willi Sattler is the current family member in charge and has grown the estate to 40-hectares of organically farmed vines in some of the region’s most famous vineyards including “grand crus” Kranachberg and Pfarrweingarten. Sattlerhof belongs to the prestigious STK (Styrian Terroir and Classic Winegrowers), an association with strict quality standards and an esteemed vineyard classification.

Sattlerhof Sauvignon Blanc Gamlitz Südsteiermark DAC 2018, 2017 Sauvignon Blanc Gamlitz is a village-level wine from the estate's Gamlitz vineyards. The steeply sloping vineyards are located between 350 and 450 meters above sea level and possess a distinctly cool microclimate. Vinification occurs in stainless-steel tanks with 4 – 5 months of aging on its lees before bottling.

Sattlerhof Sauvignon Blanc Ried Kranachberg G|STK Südsteiermark DAC 2017 Sauvignon Blanc Kranachberg Große STK Lage is one of two “grand cru” bottlings of Sauvignon Blanc from the Sattler’s family holdings near Gamlitz. The Kranachberg is an impressively steep vineyard with sandy soils featuring patches of limestone. Vines grow between 450- and 500-meters elevation lending an unmistakable cool aroma to the wine.

Sattlerhof Morillon Ried Kapellenweingarten Südsteiermark DAC 2017 Morillon, a local synonym for Chardonnay, first arrived in Styria in the early 19th Century, courtesy of Archduke Johann von Habsburg. Ried Kapellenweingarten is the estate’s highest vineyard at an elevation of 550 meters. The high altitude contributes freshness while calcareous sand and gravely soils give the wine its structure and mineral character.

Sattlerhof Sauvignon Blanc Ried Kranachberg TBA Steiermark 2017 A selection of botrytized grapes from the steep and sandy-calcareous Kranachberg. Produced only in special vintages, this sweet and highly complex Trockenbeerenauslese is incredibly intense with the scent of dried apricots and honey. On the palate radiant clear thanks to 9.4 g/L in total acidity and just 9.5% alcohol to balance the 250.8 g/L of residual sugar. Fermentation in stainless steel tanks.

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Danube River, Austria

WINEBOW IMPORTS 11

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