Burgenland

Austria´s most important red wine area

Christian Zechmeister

Austria is in theheart of Europe

Today a smallbut successful nation

• Production: 250 Mio Liters

• Consumption: 250 Mio Liters

• Import: 50 – 70 Mio lt

• Export: 50 – 70 Mio lt

Basic Data - Austria

Cool Climate Viticulture

• continental pannonian

•mediterranean

• cool northern airstreams

•Special micro climates:

lake: Neusiedlersee

unique climate:hot & cool

Austria Australia

50.000 ha 164.000 ha

6.000+ bottling estates

2.200 bottlingestates

Structure of Estates

Quality Wine –Original bottlings with seal

Burgenland

• [Einfügen: Karte Burgenland]

General data –Burgenland

• ~ 13,900 ha– 6,300 ha white wine

– 7,600 ha red wine

• 4 controlled appelations– Neusiedlersee DAC

– Leithaberg DAC

– Mittelburgenland DAC

– Eisenberg DAC

Weinernte Burgenland

History

• 700 BC: grape pips (Zagersdorf)

• 1 BC: cultivate vines

• 1526: Luther wine

• 1681: Rust becomes free town

• 1852: last drop of Luther wine is drunk

• 19th century: first sightings of powdery mildew & downy mildew

History

• 1985: wine scandal

• 1986: Austrian Wine Marketing Board is founded

• 1991: Austrian Wine Academy

• 2001: regional wine committee Bgld

• 2006: Mittelburgenland DAC

• 2010: Leithaberg DAC & Eisenberg DAC

• 2010: Neusiedlersee DAC

Climate

• Pannonian climate

– warm summers

– cold winters

– more than 2.000 sun hours/year

– rainfall: 500 – 650 mm/year

• climate regulator: lake Neusiedl

Red wines

Red wines

Important varieties– Blaufränkisch – Zweigelt – St. Laurent – Pinot Noir – Merlot

Wine style– deep aromas

– various dark fruit notes

– well-structured wines with an intense tannic finish

Vineyards in Burgenland (in ha)

Blaufränkisch ZweigeltSt.

LaurentPinot Noir

LB 979,46 406,99 52,65 107,34

NS 797,80 1.850,55 340,71 182,51

MB 1.181,03 430,60 21,77 25,35

EB 180,89 32,34 0,75 6,20

3.139,18 2.720,48 415,88 321,40

Zweigelt

• Blaufränkisch x St.Laurent

• Zweigelt is Austria‘s most important red grape variety

• 12 % of the total production in Austria

Zweigelt

• The creation of the Zweigelt variety in the 1920's by Professor Fritz Zweigelt, a crossing between Blaufränkisch and St. Laurent, only really gained recognition after the Second World War.

• The spectrum of Zweigelt as a varietal is wide, ranging from easy drinking, unoaked wines to rich and full-bodied single vineyard wines aged in small oak barrels.

• As a blending partner, it pairs well with its parent varieties Blaufränkisch and St. Laurent, as well as Cabernet & Co.

Zweigelt

• The fruity, traditionally Austrian home-style of Zweigelt displays charm with pronounced cherry aromas, a mellow palate and delicate spice.

• The opulent internationally produced Zweigelt is recognisable by sour cherry and berry aromas, deeply set fruit and more tannin, complexity and a

harmonious structure.

Zweigelt

• Synonyms: Rotburger (AT), Zweigeltrebe (CZ, SK)

• Leaf: circular to pentagonal, three to five lobed, flat profile, teeth are straight to curved, the petiole is slightly open with a U-shaped base. The underside contains few epideral hairs.

• Grape bunch: medium-sized, dense-berried, cylindrical, one to three wings, medium-sized side-grapes.

• Grape berry: roundish, low weight, skin is purplish-black with clear fruit flesh.

Zweigelt

• Budding: early

• Flowering: early to average

• Ripening: average

• Features: susceptible to potassium deficiency and overstressing that leads to grape wilt disease.

Blaufränkisch

• Unique concentration

• Fine bouquet

• Fine racy acidity

• Great potential

• 6,5 % of total production in Austria

Blaufränkisch

• The Blaufränkisch is a thoroughly central European variety.

• The typical bouquet of this late-ripening variety is deep aromas fruits of the forest, cherry and herbal spice. The taste profile is focused and lively, with its characteristic high acidity.

• Blaufränkisch can develop to become great wines with a dense structure and prominent tannins, that can seem quite astringent at first, yet soften and become more silky as the wine matures, and fine examples have long aging potential.

Blaufränkisch

• Synonyms: Frankovka (CZ), Blauer Limberger oder Lemberger (DE), Kékfrankos (HU), Frankonia (IT), Modra Frankinja (SL), Frankovka modrá (SK)

• Leaf: wedge-shaped, five lobed, flat profile, the main nerve on the stalk is red, teeth are straight to curved, the petiole is open with a V-shaped base. The underside contains few epideral hairs.

• Grape bunch: long, medium dense-berried, cone-shaped, one to three wings, absent side-grapes.

• Grape berry: roundish, low weight, skin is purplish-black with clear fruit flesh.

Blaufränkisch

• Budding: early to average

• Flowering: early to average

• Ripening: average

St. Laurent

• Descendant of Pinot Noir

• Deeper in Colour

• Full body

• Black cherry fruit

• 800 ha (<2%) in Austria

St. Laurent

• The high quality St. Laurent variety belongs to the Pinot family, and the synonym Pinot St. Laurent suggests a pinot seedling.

• The yield is often below expectation and it can be demanding in the vineyard, being not the most popular variety.

• In the course of a more quality orientated thinking in recent years, the variety has experienced a revival in all wine-producing regions, particularly in Thermenregion and northern Burgenland as a varietal or valued blending partner.

St. Laurent

• The name St. Laurent originates from Saint Laurent's name day on 10 August, when the veraison or reddening of the green grape berries occurs.

• The memorable aromas feature a burst of fruit, especially blackberries, sour cherries and plums. As St. Laurent matures in the bottle, typical developing Pinot aromas evolve, of stewed berries and spice. A natural sweetness over bitter chocolate and firm, silky tannins are harmoniously packaged, making the wine a diverse and rewarding partner to food.

St. Laurent

• Synonyms: Laurenzitraube (AT), Svatovavřinecké (CZ, SK), Saint Laurent (DE), Sentlovrenka (SL)

• Leaf: wedge-shaped to pentagonal, five lobed, wavy or V-shaped profile, the main nerve is green, the petiole is slightly overlapping. The underside contains few epideral hairs.

• Grape bunch: medium-long, dense-berried, cylindrical, one to three wings, medium-sized side-grapes.

• Grape berry: oval, low weight, skin is purplish-black with clear fruit flesh, neutral taste.

St. Laurent

• Budding: average

• Flowering: early

• Ripening: average

Red wines

DAC‘s from Burgenland

�Neusiedlersee DAC

- Zweigelt (Klassik & Reserve (incl. blend))

�Leithaberg DAC

- White: Pinot Blanc, Chardonnay, Neuburger, GV either monovarietal or a blend.

- Red: Blaufränkisch

�Eisenberg DAC

- Blaufränkisch (Klassik & Reserve)

�Mittelburgenland DAC

- Blaufränkisch (Klassik & Reserve)

Leithaberg DAC

Leithaberg DAC

• high amount of mineralcomponents

• slopes of slate & shelllimestone

• well-structured whiteand red wines

Leithaberg DAC

• Leithaberg DAC (white from 2009 vintage, red from 2008 vintage)

• Grape varieties:– Pinot Blanc, Chardonnay, Neuburger, Grüner

Veltliner– Blaufränkisch

• Taste profile: – White: fruit-driven aromas, spicy, fresh, mineral

notes, regional specific aromas – Red: spicy, elegant, mineral notes, little to no

notable use of oak

Leithaberg DAC

• Quality levels: – White: available to the consumer from 1st

September in the year following the harvest.

– Red: available to the consumer from 1st September in the second year following the harvest

• Alcohol levels by vol: – min. 12.5 Vol %

Neusiedlersee

Neusiedlersee

Parndorfer Platte� soft slopes � various soil types

• gravel• sand• chalk

• Seewinkel– sandy soils

– salted lakes between the vineyards

– rapid and intense development of botrytis

Neusiedlersee DAC

Neusiedlersee DAC

– variety: Zweigelt– barrel or stainless steel tank aged– alcohol min 12,0 vol. % – put on the market not before 1st of March in the

year after harvest

Neusiedlersee DAC Reserve:– Zweigelt or Zweigelt dominated blend Cuvée

(Zweigel min. 60%, rest: indigenous varieties)– big barrel or barrique aged– alcohol min 13,0 vol. % – put on the market not before 1st of March in the

second year after harvest

Mittelburgenland DAC

Mittelburgenland DAC

„Blaufränkischland“

Horitschon • clay• powerful wine characteristics

Neckenmarkt • slopes• gravel and clay• full-bodied wines with a spicy touch

Deutschkreutz• warmer, lighter soils• heavy and powerful wines

Lutzmannsburg• higher altitude• gravel, mineral components and clay

Mittelburgenland DAC

• Mittelburgenland DAC (from 2005 vintage)

• Grape variety: Blaufränkisch

• Taste profile: – Klassik & cru site: fruit-driven aromas, spicy,

full-bodied, matured in traditional large neutral oak casks or used oak barrels

– Reserve: fruit-driven aromas, spicy, full-bodied, matured in traditional large oak casks or oak barrels

Mittelburgenland DAC

• Quality levels: – Klassik: available to the consumer from 1st

August in the year following the harvest – Cru site: available to the consumer from 1st

October in the year following the harvest – Reserve: available to the consumer from 1st

March in the second year following the harvest

• Alcohol levels by vol: – Klassik: min. 12.5 Vol % (max. 13 Vol %)– single vineyard / cru site (e.g. Hochäcker) min.

13 Vol% (max 13.5 Vol %)– Reserve: min. 13 Vol %

Eisenberg DAC

Eisenberg DAC & Südburgenland

Rechnitz• white wine island• mineralic wines

Eisenberg• steep slopes• deep heavy soil• clay• „Grauschiefer“ slate • iron

„Uhudler“

Eisenberg DAC

• Eisenberg DAC (Reserve from 2008 vintage, Klassik from 2009 vintage)

• Grape variety: Blaufränkisch

• Taste profile: – Klassik: fruit-driven aromas, mineral and spicy

aromas, little or no notable use of oak

– Reserve: fruit-driven aromas, mineral and spicy notes, full-bodied, matured in traditional large oak casks or oak barrels

Eisenberg DAC

• Quality levels: – Klassik: available to the consumer from 1st

September in the year following the harvest

– Reserve: available to the consumer from 1st March in the second year following the harvest

• Alcohol levels by vol: – Klassik: min. 12.5 Vol %

– Reserve: mind. 13 Vol %