Arnt Egil Nordlien
Arnt Egil Nordlien
Leithaberg is a DAC in Austria counting from 2008 for red-wines and 2009 for whites. The whites are released the first of September the following year and the reds a year later. Meaning that the first vintage under the DAC-requirements are those available now. The Leithaberg consists of a 40 kilometer wide hill in the Neusiedlersee-Hügelland in the region of Burgenland. The soil is mostly divided into two types: Mica-schist and a type of limestone often referred to as Leithakalk. One of the main goal to the Leithaberg DAC is to produce wines that shows the differences that these two soil-types give in the wine. Uniformity is not desired. As a result of this the DAC is designed with the wording “..delicate taste with minerals, little or no use of oak.” It is interesting to see an appellation that has put the use of little oak into the legal specifications. According to the representative I spoke to, this was enforced quite strictly. One problematic side-effect of the Leithaberg DAC is that several producers reserve top grapes from the top vineyards within the area for wines with more apparent oak. They are then bottled without the use of the appelation-name. I want to see those top-wines also within the Leithaberg DAC and with the use of less oak than today.
The Leithaberg DAC whites may be Pinot blanc, Chardonnay, Grüner Veltliner or Neuburger and also blends of these grapes. The Leithaberg red consists of blaufränkisch with the possible addition of 15% St.Laurent, pinot noir or zweigelt. Historically a little St.Laurent has often been used. It is clearly the red Leithaberg DAC that is most interesting. Personally I feel that blaufränkisch blends poorly with barrique and too much oak. So I am fascinated to see a DAC from one of the major areas for the blaufränkisch-grape that will promise me a bottle with little or no noticeable oak.
On March 17th 2010 representatives from Leithaberg DAC made a small and comparative tasting of wines from Leithaberg. I sampled as much blaufränkisch as I could find. I was particularly intrigued by the differences in soil-types. The limestone gave elegant, fragrant and softer blaufränkisch, while the Mica-schist gave much more muscular wines with darker and meatier notes. I tasted through Leithaberg DAC blaufränkisch from Prieler, Toni Hartl, Markus Altenburger, Hans Moser, Anita & Hans Nittnaus, Reichhardt, Tinhof, Birgit Braunstein & Martin Pasler. All wines from the 2008-vintage except the Tinhof, which was a pre-DAC wine from 2006. All good wines, but to me three producers stood out as particularly interesting: Toni Hartl, Hans Moser and Markus Altenburger.
Leithaberg Blaufränkisch 2008, Toni Hartl
47-year old vines from the village of Purbach in the vineyard Braunsdorfer. This was an very elegant, feminine and complex blaufränkisch. Floral, anis-notes some hints from spontaneous fermentation. Round and kind in the mouth. Very pure and delicate style with fine acidity. Soft and round tannins. A real delight and very interesting wine.
Leithaberg Blaufränkisch 2008, Hans Moser
This comes from the the village of Eisenstadt and the vineyards Kogel, Viehtrift, Kreiner and Hochberg. This shows a lot of similarity with the previous wine, but while Hartl is the wilder thing this is more strict, behaved and pure in style. Fine pure floral blaufränkisch with lots of depth. Better structure in the mouth and built to take some time in the cellar. A great wine and my favorite of the day.
Leithaberg Blaufränkisch 2008, Markus Altenburger
From a young winemaker that made his first wines under his own name in 2008. Those with knowledge in Austrian red wine will remember Markus Altenburger as one of the members of the Club Batonnage. While the two first wines came from soil with more limestone, this wine is from more schist. Many people look for the more delicate side of blaufränkisch. This is the opposite of that. Being very muscular and structured. Notes of dark berries and meat. Bigger wine in the mouth with lots of structure and a dry tannic finish. But the fruit here is very pure and focused. A very clear and precise wine in this style. A wine that should not be overlooked despite giving a different face to the Blaufränkisch-grape.
The Leithaberg DAC whites may be Pinot blanc, Chardonnay, Grüner Veltliner or Neuburger and also blends of these grapes. The Leithaberg red consists of blaufränkisch with the possible addition of 15% St.Laurent, pinot noir or zweigelt. Historically a little St.Laurent has often been used. It is clearly the red Leithaberg DAC that is most interesting. Personally I feel that blaufränkisch blends poorly with barrique and too much oak. So I am fascinated to see a DAC from one of the major areas for the blaufränkisch-grape that will promise me a bottle with little or no noticeable oak.
On March 17th 2010 representatives from Leithaberg DAC made a small and comparative tasting of wines from Leithaberg. I sampled as much blaufränkisch as I could find. I was particularly intrigued by the differences in soil-types. The limestone gave elegant, fragrant and softer blaufränkisch, while the Mica-schist gave much more muscular wines with darker and meatier notes. I tasted through Leithaberg DAC blaufränkisch from Prieler, Toni Hartl, Markus Altenburger, Hans Moser, Anita & Hans Nittnaus, Reichhardt, Tinhof, Birgit Braunstein & Martin Pasler. All wines from the 2008-vintage except the Tinhof, which was a pre-DAC wine from 2006. All good wines, but to me three producers stood out as particularly interesting: Toni Hartl, Hans Moser and Markus Altenburger.
Leithaberg Blaufränkisch 2008, Toni Hartl
47-year old vines from the village of Purbach in the vineyard Braunsdorfer. This was an very elegant, feminine and complex blaufränkisch. Floral, anis-notes some hints from spontaneous fermentation. Round and kind in the mouth. Very pure and delicate style with fine acidity. Soft and round tannins. A real delight and very interesting wine.
Leithaberg Blaufränkisch 2008, Hans Moser
This comes from the the village of Eisenstadt and the vineyards Kogel, Viehtrift, Kreiner and Hochberg. This shows a lot of similarity with the previous wine, but while Hartl is the wilder thing this is more strict, behaved and pure in style. Fine pure floral blaufränkisch with lots of depth. Better structure in the mouth and built to take some time in the cellar. A great wine and my favorite of the day.
Leithaberg Blaufränkisch 2008, Markus Altenburger
From a young winemaker that made his first wines under his own name in 2008. Those with knowledge in Austrian red wine will remember Markus Altenburger as one of the members of the Club Batonnage. While the two first wines came from soil with more limestone, this wine is from more schist. Many people look for the more delicate side of blaufränkisch. This is the opposite of that. Being very muscular and structured. Notes of dark berries and meat. Bigger wine in the mouth with lots of structure and a dry tannic finish. But the fruit here is very pure and focused. A very clear and precise wine in this style. A wine that should not be overlooked despite giving a different face to the Blaufränkisch-grape.