Austria’s Best Wines and Winemakers - Falstaff WeinGuide 2010

Picture: Christian G.E.Schiller with Fritz Wieninger, Weingut Wieninger, Vienna

The Falstaff WeinGuide Oesterreich (Austria) was released in October 2010 by Falstaff editor-in-chief Peter Moser. This posting provides an overview of the best winemakers and the best white and red wines of Austria, in the judgment of Falstaff. For rating winemakers, Falstaff uses a 1 to 5 stars scale and for rating wines the 1 to 100 points scale.


Pictures: Falstaff WeinGuide Austria 2010

Wine Producer Austria

Austria has about 50.000 hectares of vineyard, equivalent to about half of Germany’s total vineyard area and one fifth of France’s vineyard area. In terms of world output, Austria’s vineyard area accounts for 0.7 % of the total. Almost all of it in the east of the country. “In the west we ski, in the east we make wine”, says Willi Klinger, head of Austrian Marketing Board. About 70 % of the production is white wine and 30% red wine. About 75 percent of Austria’s production is consumed in Austria and 25 percent is exported.

Picture: The Wine Regions of Austria

Austrian wine culture is ancient; people have been producing wine in Austria for 4000 years. But everything changed in 1985, when Austria was rocked by the “antifreeze wine scandal”. Some vintners were caught illicitly sweetening their products with glycol. As a result, the market for Austrian wine, especially the semi-sweet styles then in favor, evaporated overnight. Yet the scandal initiated a revolution that has propelled Austrian wines on to the world stage. It led to a broad rethink, with an emphasis on higher-quality production and innovation that soon became noticed. Young winemakers, drawn by the new emphasis on quality over quantity, brought cutting-edge techniques and farsightedness to vineyards and cellars, revolutionizing both.

Austria’s Top Wine Makers

When visiting Austria, you will find a huge number of top wine makers, and that not only in the top wine regions, but throughout Austria. Here is the current crème de la crème, according to the Fallstaff 2010 WeinGuide.

Weingut Bründlmayer, Langenlois, Kramptal

Weingut Gesellmann, Deutschkreutz, Burgenland

Weingut Gernot und Heike Heinrich, Gols, Burgenland

Weingut Franz Hirtzberger, Spitz an d. Donau, Wachau

Weingut Knoll, Unterloiben, Wachau

Weingut Kollwentz, Großhöflein, Neusiedlersee, Burgenland

Weinlaubenhof Kracher, Illmitz, Neusiedlersee, Burgenland

Weingut F.X. Pichler, Oberloiben, Wachau

Weingut Poeckle, Moenchhof, Burgenland

Weingut Prager, Weissenkirchen, Wachau

Weingut Tement, Berghausen, Südsteiermark

Interestingly, in terms of regional distribution, 5 of the 11 top winemakers come from the tiny Wachau and Kramptal regions in the north, 5 from the Burgenland and 1 from the Steiermark in the south. Weingut Prager from Weissenkirchen in the Wachau, Weingut Pöckl from Mönchhof in the Burgenland and Weingut Albert Gesellmann in Burgenland are newcomers.

Die besten Weißweine- The Best White Wines

Here are the best white wines.

98–100
Riesling Smaragd Unendlich Dürnsteiner Kellerberg 2009, Weingut F. X. Pichler, Oberloiben

98
Riesling Smaragd Achleithen 2009, Weingut Rudi Pichler, Wösendorf

96
Sauvignon Blanc Ratscher Nussberg Große STK Lage 2008, Weingut Gross, Ratsch
Riesling Smaragd Klaus 2009, Weingut Prager, Weißenkirchen

95–97
Sauvignon Blanc Privat 2007, Weingut Sattlerhof, Gamlitz

95
Rotgipfler Pur 2008, Weingut Alphart, Traiskirchen
Grüner Veltliner Smaragd Honivogl 2009, Weingut Franz Hirtzberger, Spitz/Donau
Riesling Smaragd Klaus 2009, Weingut Jamek, Joching
Sauvignon Blanc Zieregg Große STK Lage 2008, Weingut Tement, Berghausen
Chardonnay Grand Select 2007, Weingut Wieninger, Wien

94–96
Riesling Smaragd Steinertal 2009, Weingut Alzinger, Unterloiben
Riesling DAC Reserve Zöbinger Heiligenstein 2009, Weingut Schloss Gobelsburg, Gobelsburg

Die besten leichteren Weißweine – The Best Lighter White Wines

94
Riesling Smaragd Steinriegl 2009, Weingut Rudi Pichler, Wösendorf

93
Riesling Mordthal 2009, Weinbau Karl Fritsch, Oberstockstall

92
Riesling Federspiel 2009, Weingut Alzinger, Unterloiben
Riesling Federspiel Steinterrassen 2009, Weingut Franz Hirtzberger, Spitz/Donau
Grüner Veltliner Federspiel Achleiten 2009, Weingut Holzapfel, Weißenkirchen
Grüner Veltliner DAC Obere Steigen 2009, Weingut Markus Huber, Reichersdorf
Riesling Federspiel Klaus 2009, Weingut Jamek, Joching
Riesling Federspiel Terrassen 2009, Weingut Lehensteiner, Weißenkirchen
Grüner Veltliner DAC Gebling 2009, Weingut Sepp Moser, Rohrendorf
Grüner Veltliner Fass 4 2009, Weingut Bernhard Ott, Feuersbrunn
Grüner Veltliner Bergweingarten 2009, Weingut Sommer, Donnerskirchen

Die besten Rotweine – The Best Red Wines

Here are the best red wines.

95–97
Salzberg 2007 ME/BF/ZW, Weingut Gernot und Heike Heinrich, Gols

94–96
»G« 2006 BF/SL, Weingut Gesellmann, Deutschkreutz
M1 2007 ZW/ME, Weingut Gerhard Markowitsch, Göttlesbrunn
Admiral 2008 ZW/CS/ME, Weingut Pöckl, Mönchhof
Blaufränkisch Buehl 2007, Weingut Claus Preisinger, Gols

94
St. Laurent Haidegrund 2007, Weingut Schloss Gobelsburg, Gobelsburg
Jungenberg 2007 ME/CF, Weingut Schloss Halbturn, Halbturn
Comondor 2007 ME/ZW/BF, Weingut Anita und Hans Nittnaus, Gols
Steingarten 2007 SL/PN, Weingut Johanneshof Reinisch, Tattendorf
Zweigelt Hallebühl 2006, Weingut Umathum, Frauenkirchen

93–95
XUR 2008, Weingut Werner Achs, Gols
Blaufränkisch Jungenberg 2008, Weingut Markus Altenburger, Jois
Blaufränkisch Altenberg, Weingut Judith Beck, Gols
Blaufränkisch Point 2007, Weingut Kollwentz, Großhöflein
Blaufränkisch »Lang« Grande Reserve 2007, Rotweine Lang, Neckenmarkt
Pinot Noir Tribute 2007, Weingut Wieninger, Wien

Die Besten Süssweine – The Best Noble Sweet Wines

Here are the best noble sweet wines

100
Scheurebe TBA No. 9 Zwischen den Seen 2007, Weinlaubenhof Kracher, Illmitz

97
Sämling TBA 2007, Angerhof – Hans Tschida, Illmitz
Sämling 88 TBA 2007, Weingut Willi Opitz, Illmitz

96
Riesling Rosengarten Eiswein 2008, Winzerhof Dockner, Höbenbach
Sämling 88 TBA 2008, Weingut Haider, Illmitz
Ruster Ausbruch Furmint Turner 2007, Weingut Schröck, Rust

95–97
Chardonnay TBA 2007, Weingut Kollwentz, Großhöflein

95
Rotgipfler Beerenauslese 2007, Weingut Alphart, Traiskirchen
Riesling Beerenauslese Heiligenstein 2008, Weingut Bründlmayer, Langenlois
Sämling 88 TBA 2008, Weingut Heiss, Illmitz
Riesling TBA 2008, Weingut Markus Huber, Reichersdorf
Riesling Klaus TBA 2009, Weingut Jamek, Joching
Schilfwein Tradition 2007, Weingut Nekowitsch, Illmitz
Grüner Veltliner TBA 2008, Wein-Gut Nigl, Senftenberg
Spätrot-Rotgipfler TBA 2008 ZF/RG, Weingut Josef Piriwe, Traiskirchen
Welschriesling TBA 2006, Weingut Velich, Apetlon


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