Biodynamic New Arrivals from Austria!
4/1/17 -
Here at Chambers Street we relish the opportunity to work with wines that we can support and champion for all the right reasons, and today we are pleased to spotlight some new arrivals from Austrian winemakers: Claus Preisinger, Michael Gindl, and Matthias Hager, all certified Biodynamic!
Claus Preisinger is currently working 19 hectares (spread between 64 plots) in Burgenland, north of Lake Neusiedl. After finishing viticulture high school, Claus took a job at a small winery in Sonoma, California followed by a few years working with Hans and Anita Nittnaus in Burgenland, during which time he was able to vinify a few wines of his own. His first official vintage was 2002 and since then he has been using native yeast fermentation, low (sometimes no) sulfur additions, and in 2008 became certified Biodynamic (Respekt). His skin-contact white blend of Weißburgunder with Grüner and Chardonnay yields soft texture and elegant balance. The Puszta Libre! is the fun, chillable red blend (Zweigelt and St. Laurent) of the bunch, fresh and juicy with an invigorating acidity. Zweigelt Kieselstein (pebble stone) reflects a more serious, structured style, yet still manages to be balanced and vibrant.
Michael Gindl started making wines during his time at agriculture high school, and now works ten hectares of vines on his family's property: a mix of farm land, woodland, and pasture where cattle graze and ever so conveniently provide necessary ingredients for a number of the Biodynamic treatments used in the vineyard. The vines (Demeter certified Biodynamic starting with the 2014 vintage) grow on a mix of predominately loess and loam soils, common to the eastern Weinviertel region of Austria. Vinification is spontaneous and without temperature control; Michael doesn't filter or add anything to the wines save for a small addition of sulfur at bottling for specific cuvées. Ageing happens in a variety of vessels, ranging from stainless steel, to clay amphorae, to acacia and oak barrels made from trees felled on the Gindl's property. The 'Buteo' line of wines take their name from the birds of prey that inhabit the vineyards. Little Buteo is the entry level Grüner, fresh and lifted with floral scents and linear minerality.
Matthias Hager went to school for Oenology & Viticulture in Krems, after which he spent some years working with Austrian winemakers Franz Hirtzberger and Ernst Triebaumer. He has been making wine on 12.5 hectares around the village of Mollands in the Kamptal for about 15 years, started converting his vines to biodynamics in 2005, and has been Demeter certified Biodynamic since 2008. He doesn't like to categorize his wines as just white or red, he has separated his wines into 'blue' and 'brown' collections. The 'blue' line of wines are fresh, bright, and fruity, to be enjoyed within the first four years after bottling. The 'brown' line of wines are more suited to be held onto, layered and serious. We've chosen the Zweigelt Eiswein from the brown line: a deeply complex and affordable option to age or open now to pair with cheeses and a wide range of desserts. Keep your eyes peeled for wines from the blue line as we coast into warmer days
-Cari Bernard
