2021 Weingut Bründlmayer Riesling Ried “Zöbinger Heiligenstein” Erste Lage Alte Reben, Kamptal, Austria

ABOUT THIS WINE

This wine comes from Bründlmayer's most important vineyard, and the most historically significant in the entire region: the Zöbinger Heiligenstein. Starting in the 1920s, dry stone walls were built by hand in part of the terraced vineyards. Ancient Riesling vines, propagated native to the Heiligenstein vineyard, form the backbone of this exceptional wine. The average age of the vines is 45 years, with the oldest vines around 90 years old.

As the vines age, their fertility declines, resulting in fewer and smaller grapes despite a strong root system. This deep and extensive root system provides exceptional nourishment for the few grapes, making the wines from these vineyards particularly concentrated and ripe.

The old-vine Riesling was harvested October 22–23, 2021, at a very low yield of about 2,500 L/ha. The vines average roughly 45 years, with the oldest around 90 years old.  Fermentation begins in stainless steel, maintained at approximately 15–20°C (59–68°F). This relatively cool fermentation is used to retain Riesling's aromatic precision.  Toward the end of fermentation, the wine and its lees are transferred together into a 2,500-liter wooden cask. The wine then completes its maturation there in contact with the lees.

ABOUT THIS PRODUCER

Weingut Bründlmayer is a family-run estate in Langenlois and one of the benchmark producers of Austria’s Kamptal region. Led by Willi Bründlmayer, the estate farms around 94 hectares, with Grüner Veltliner and Riesling at the heart of its production. Its vineyards include some of Kamptal’s most celebrated sites, including Heiligenstein, Lamm, Käferberg, Steinmassl, and Loiserberg.

Sustainability and thoughtful farming are central to Bründlmayer’s philosophy. The estate has avoided synthetic fertilizers since 1979 and has been certified organic since 2015, with an emphasis on biodiversity, healthy soils, and preserving its remarkable old vines, some of which are more than 90 years old. In the cellar, the approach is similarly restrained, allowing the character of each vineyard and vintage to remain at the forefront.

Bründlmayer has also played an important role in shaping modern Austrian wine. Willi was a founding member and the first chairman of the Österreichische Traditionsweingüter (ÖTW), which established the 1ÖTW Erste Lage classification for Austria’s finest vineyard sites. This commitment to terroir is especially evident in wines from the historic Heiligenstein vineyard, where distinctive ancient sandstone soils produce some of the estate’s most renowned and age-worthy Rieslings.