Josef & Philipp
Brundl Mayer
Grafenegg, Kremstal Austria
The conflict between father and son winemaking teams could easily fill volumes – Josef & Philipp of the Bründlmayer family would not feature in them. Although Philipp has taken charge over the family’s estate, his father still plays a vital role in it. This comes as no surprise, since he knows every single vine in their 52 vineyards. A lot of them he planted himself, others he nursed back to health having identified the site fit his philosophy: namely to vinify terroir-shaped wines which tell about their origin and represent their variety.
From humble beginnings, but a clear vision in 1980, Josef established 18 hectares of vineyards, which Phillip now manages with pride.
Their holdings include some of the finest sites in the Krems Valley: Moosburgerin, Gebling, Tiefenthal, Vordernberg & Steingraben, which are synonymous with dense and substantial but also vibrant and structured Gruner Veltliner and Riesling.
Philipp applies minimal intervention to the fruits path from vine to bottle; There are no insecticides, herbicides or chemical fertilizers used. Vineyard work is done manually. The grapes are carefully selected and harvested by hand. Every single vineyard is vinified separately in order to mirror the terroir and its differences as precisely as possible.
www.philipp-bruendlmayer.at
Ceel
Rust, Burgenland Austria
Joining forces: Markus Fischl, Martin Kern and Franz Raith who after having worked in wine business nationally and internationally decided to return to their roots and apply the essence of their knowledge at home. Highest quality grapes from the best vineyards in Rust are the basis to produce intensive and authentic wines.
Starting the company in 2010, the production increased from 3,000 bottles in the first year to almost 30,000 in 2015. The red varieties Blaufränkisch, Syrah and Zweigelt count for about 2/3 of the production, the white varieties Chardonnay and Weißburgunder for 1/3.
But what is CEEL?
CEEL is the first mention of Rust in 1317! Tradition and innovation belong together. Traditional work in the cellar - “Back to the Roots” with old methods and gravity - Innovative and modern in design.
www.weingut-ceel.at
Peter Schweiger
Zobing, Kamptal Austria
Weingut Peter Schweiger is a small, family-owned producer based in the Kamptal region, which along with the Kremstal and Wachau regions is home to Austria’s most famous and highly regarded dry wines. Peter’s eighteen hectares of vineyards are planted to Grüner Veltliner, Riesling and Zweigelt, and are farmed sustainably, by hand.
The entry-point Grüner is an accessible introduction to the joys of the variety: classic spicy, mineral flavours tempered by some upfront stone fruit character, and offered at a remarkable price for a Kamptal wine! The Zobinger Heiligenstein comes from the famous “Holy Rock” - Heiligenstein - a unique geological formation dating to the Permian period some 250 to 270 million years ago, comprising an extrusion of desert sandstone with volcanic and carboniferous conglomerates this lends to a more savoury, serious style, with extra layers of spice and concentration, this is impressive stuff. The Terrassen Riesling comes from the celebrated terraces for which Kamptal is famous,
but the soil is dominated by slate instead of loess. It combines the typical citrus “cut” of the variety with that unmistakable Austrian ripeness and minerality.
A signature Austrian red grape, Zweigelt gives an amazingly lively, refreshing, juicy wine that is easier tasted than described. Think somewhere between top Côtes-du-Rhône and cru Beaujolais, but with more depth and “gloss”. It’s winningly delicious, and benefits from being served slightly chilled.