Wines

The Lange Ohn vineyard is situated southeast of Jois (see above), closer to Lake Neusiedl’s northern edge. This pure-south-exposed site of clay and limestone produces a rich, round Blaufränkisch, with red, warm-toned fruit and broad texture. This spends 18 months in used 500-liter Stockingers before being bottled with minimal sulfur, and it should evolve beautifully over the coming 15 to 20 year.

This single-site offering comes from the Altenberg vineyard outside the village of Jois in the Leitha hills. Anita and Hans own a parcel of 30-year-old Blaufränkisch on these slopes of slatey limestone, which yield a wine of remarkably fresh yet deeply penetrating minerality and gorgeously vivid blue and black fruits. This ages for 18 months in used 500-liter Stockingers before being bottled with minimal sulfur. Though it is undeniably charming in its youth, Altenberg is easily capable of 15 or more years of aging.

“Kalk & Schiefer” (“limestone and slate”) comes from Blaufränkisch grown on the slopes of the Leitha hills near the village of Jois. This is aged one year in used 500-liter Stockinger barrels and is bottled with just a splash of sulfur—less than 15 milligrams per liter. Cleansing, cool-toned minerality counterbalances warmly spicy fruit here, united under a spire of glowing acidity. At just 12.5% alcohol, this wine exemplifies the variety’s ability to be both richly juicy and light in spirit.

Nittnaus’ spectacular Zweigelt comes from vines planted in the loess of the Parndorf plain, between the Leitha hills and Lake Neusiedl. Spontaneously fermented, it spends 12 months aging in used 500-liter oak casks from the renowned Stockinger cooperage, and is bottled with minimal sulfur. This delivers plenty of concentration and tension on its modest 12.5%-alcohol frame, with spicy purple fruits and a beam of lifted acidity.

Mostly Zweigelt with splashes of Blaufränkisch and Sankt Laurent, “Anita” shows off Nittnaus’ knack for producing lip-smackingly delicious reds. Soaring acidity lets the spice-drenched red and black fruits dance on the palate, and the wine—with only 15 milligrams per liter of added sulfur—bristles with energy. There is just enough structure here to keep the wine from feeling simple, but it stays out of the way of the fruit-and-spice main event.

Nittnaus’ zesty Pinot Blanc comes from vineyards to the northeast of Lake Neusiedl, planted in the area’s sandy clay. Fermented spontaneously and aged ten months in stainless steel on its fine lees, the 2020 weighs in at 13% alcohol with a single invisible gram of residual sugar. Its vivid, lifted fruit speaks to its low-intervention origins, and it possesses a carefully calibrated generosity which stops well short of unctuousness.

Description coming soon.