Austrian Reds-Where to begin?

Spending a week here and quite impressed with the number of red wines I see in the stores and restaurants. Lots of great Austrian whites make it to the states, however, I know nothing about the reds and wanted to get some pointers on what’s worth trying. Let me know please!

Brent,

Where are you? Speaking in overlarge generalizations, there’s three (non International) big red grapes you’re going to find in Austria: St. Laurent, Blaufrankisch (a.k.a. Lemberger) and Zweigelt. In my mind , St. Laurent tastes Pinot Noir-ish, but more the Nuits St. George side of Pinot. Blaufrankisch tastes Cabernet Franc-ish and Zweigelt (which is a cross of the previous two and the most common native grape you’ll find) tastes like a Zinfandel with a good dollop of cold climate Syrah in it.

I particularly like St. Laurent, and I remember tasting and liking the ones from Sattler (the Neusiedlersee area, practically in Hungary). Moric is a heavy hitter and expensive, focusing on Blaufrankisch and they might have a tasting room in Vienna.

If you’d like more specifics on producers/regions, let me know. My information is a bit out of date - I was there years ago and it was a bit of a whirlwind.

P.S. If you are a fan of fruit brandies, you should not miss drinking and buying things from Rochelt or Hans Reisetbauer. Or visiting if you can.

Thanks,

Zachary

Zachary, thank you. We are in St Anton on a Ski trip.

The best Austrian reds I’ve had are from Leo Hillinger:

https://www.leo-hillinger.com/shop/?swoof=1&product_cat=premium

Hillinger’s formulae seem to change from vintage to vintage; the “Hill-1” seems to lead with Bordeaux cultivars, and then backs them up with Austrian cultivars, wheras the “Hill-Side” seems to lead with Northern Rhone cultivars [again backed by Austrian cultivars].

In my experience, Hillinger’s wines are all about clarity & precision & structure & purity.

They’re highly intellectual wines, so don’t go expecting them to be big sloppy overripe dreck which you would guzzle at the Deke House reunion on alumni weekend for the big homecoming game.

Hillinger reds are for sipping very slowly and thoughtfully, whilst listening to everyone else at the table quarrelling about Kant & Schopenhauer & Spengler & Hayek [not to mention Böhm versus Knappertsbusch versus Furtwängler].

In terms of restaurants, “Sonnbichl Stube” has a nice list of relatively affordable Austrian wines, to include an Hillinger “Hill-1” & an Hillinger “Hill-Side”:

Weinkarte Restaurant "Sonnbichl Stube" am Arlberg

Kitzloch has a very upscale Austrian wine menu, to include [knock on wood!] both Honivogl & Singerriedel from Hirtzberger:

https://kitzloch.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/Weinkarte-2021-22.pdf

It looks like Cafè Günther might have some Leo Hillinger red wines:


Günther Hofer
Nr. 19b
6563 Galtür
**[https://www.galtuer.com/deskline/infrastruktur/objekte/restaurant-cafe-guenther_170069/Menu_45852461.pdf

“Schindler” has a bunch of Austrian reds which I’ve never heard of:

[quote][b][url]https://www.hotel-schindler.at/ckfinder/userfiles/files/Weinkarte%202020%20pdf.pdf](https://www.galtuer.com/deskline/infrastruktur/objekte/restaurant-cafe-guenther_170069/Menu_45852461.pdf "Schindler"%20has%20a%20bunch%20of%20Austrian%20reds%20which%20I've%20never%20heard%20of: [quote][b][url]https://www.hotel-schindler.at/ckfinder/userfiles/files/Weinkarte%202020%20pdf.pdf)**

And “Adi Werner” looks like it stocks very expensive French wines [but an upscale outlet like that might have some older Hirtzberger & FX Pichler & Kracher in their cellar]:

Adi Werner Weinwelt
St. Christoph
https://www.arlberghospiz.at/en/adi-werner-weinwelt/

Finally, if you’re insanely lucky, you might just stumble upon a bar with a Bösendorfer.

As they say in the trade, “I’d rather have a Bösendorfer than a house.”

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I have enjoyed reds from the following producers:

Claus Preisinger (perhaps my favorite)
Judith Beck
Umathum
Heinrich
Schloss Gobelsburg (the Reserve series)
Moric
Johanneshof Reinisch

I definitely prefer the reds on the medium-bodied, acid-driven end of the spectrum, although some of the producers mentioned do also producer “higher” end bottlings that can be more “international” or “ambitious” in style. In many cases it is the lower end reds that appeal to me, but Schloss Gobelsburg’s Reserve bottlings are very nice.

I’ll second Moric as being terrific. Their higher end bottlings are tough to find in US, so try there while you can.

I am a big fan of Moric wine too. Looks like you can buy straight from his US Distributor WineMonger

They also have his Hidden Treasures collection and Jagini collection.

Hillinger is not really one of the best producers, makes a great lot of wine, also supermarket-quality!

Adi Werner is great, old Bordeaux etc.

Don’t overlook the Pinot Noir.

Here’s a serious question: Can you name some Austrian red wines which are noticeably and obviously better than the 2015 Hillinger Hill-1 [which is one half Merlot, one quarter Zweigelt and one quarter Blaufrankisch]?

Bonus points if your suggestions have actual Austrian cultivars in them.

From eight months ago, these were my notes on the the 2015 Hill-1:

I don’t know why I cut the tasting short after only two days [it probably would have had something to do with allergies], but I have a strong memory of an extraordinarily well-crafted wine; easily wine of the year, and the most fascinating red I’ve encountered in the last decade or more.

Thanks everyone. Found a great store across the street called Plangger. Beyond a good selection of wine they have Gabriel and Gabriel gold glasses for sale at super reasonable prices as well as a healthy alelectuon of everything including 2019 FX Pichler Undendlich which I’ll be opening shortly.

SCORE!!!

You are so lucky.

I don’t know about Wine-Searcher Professional, but on free Wine-Searcher right now, there are all of precisely four bottles of Unendlinch for sale in the entire United States - one 750 of Gruner, and three magnums of Riesling.
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unendlich_january-2021.png
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If you can find anybody who makes a ham & potatoes & cheese casserole [Schwein und Kartoffeln und Käse], that’s what I’d be eating with an Unendlich in the Alps.

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Gut Oggau
Claus Preisinger
Rennersistas
Meinklang

(I sell all of these).

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+1 for Claus Preisinger!

Is there anybody who can’t make one of those?

Uwe Schiefer

I do not say that Hillinger is a bad winemaker - just the opposite, he´s definitely competent, and makes great PR …
However what I´ve tasted is good, but not great and not on top in Austria, and for me kind of mean and commercial. Sure it might be that I have not yet tasted his “very best cuvee” ever …

In the lists of the best Austrian reds Hillinger is rarely to be found near the top …
HERE Themenspecial: Rotweinguide 2022 - Falstaff
is the last tasting of the FALSTAFF magazine, one of the two major wine mags in Austria … and the best known (Vinaria is the other …).
Hillinger is nowhere near the top wines … you find names (also in previous vintages) like Achs, Grassl, Gesellmann, Pöckl, Ernst Triebaumer, Moric, Gager, Kollwentz, Schiefer, Gager, Krutzler, Reeh, Reinisch, Markowitsch, Wieninger, Igler, Netzl, Tesch, Hartl, Preisinger, Keringer, Prickler, Leberl, Auer, Iro, Scheiblhofer, Glatzer, Angerer, Schwarz, Kopfensteiner etc. (I´ve definitely missed a few …) - and I would prefer almost all to a bottle of Hillinger … however I´ve not tasted Hill-1 yet, so I might be wrong …
[cheers.gif]

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As we stayed at the same hotel for 7 nights, the waitress kept mentioning the Batonnage wine, which is a Bordeaux blend. They had the 2012 and 2015. Falstaff rated the 2015 100 points but she recommended the 2012. She decanted it for a few hours. It was very unique and happy to have the opportunity to try it, although this was not a typical Austrian wine: