Eisenberg Masterclass: Welschriesling and Bläufrankisch from this special region in Austria’s Burgenland
Website: https://www.eisenberg-dac.at/en/home/
This is a small 505 hectare region in the east corner of Burgenland, in the most southerly part of Austria. 57% red grapes and 43% white. The term means ‘iron mountain’, and there’s a fair amount of iron in the soils, and even 1000 BCE this was a thriving economic area. The DAC is recent, from 2010. From 2022 Welchriesling was added to Bläufrankisch, as the second permitted grape variety in the DAC.
The vineyards sit in a basin, and this is an area in Burgenland not affected by the Neusidlersee. All the vineyards are on hills, with the highest at 480 m, with most between 280 and 400 m. Rainfall is between 600-800 mm annually.
I was really taken by the Eisenberg Blaufrankisch wines, which have a really distinctive personality to them: it’s a kind of firmness and mineral quality that makes them distinctly savoury and energetic, even if they can be a little challenging young.
The first set of notes here are current release wines tasted as part of a masterclass at the Arlberg Weinberg, and the second were some older wines tasted over dinner that same day.
THE WINES
Stubits Csaterberg Welschriesling 2023 Eisenberg, Burgenland, Austria
12.5% alcohol. 25-40 year old vines, wild ferment, aged in used barrels. This is bright and lively with a pithy edge to the citrus and pear fruit, with some grapey terpenic notes and then a nice fresh finish, showing good acidity. Juicy and refined with a touch of grapefruit pith on the finish. Intriguing stuff. 91/100
Straka Welschriesling 2023 Leithaberg, Eisenberg, Austria
490 m altitude, the highest village for wines in the area. Foot-trodden, one day skin contact, then pressed to oak (600-2000 litres), wild ferment, then a year on lees, followed with a spell in stainless steel on fine lees. Bold and nicely intense with sweet pear and white peach, as well as some melon. Yellow plum here, too with some richness and depth to the fruit, but it stays fresh. Complex and refined. 94/100
Wachter Wiesler Deutsch Schütsen Welschriesling 2023 Eisenberg, Burgenland, Austria
Complex and tangy with a pithy bitter edge to the bold cherry and citrus fruit with a bitter twist on the finish. Nice intensity and purity, with a bit of grip, and a tangy finish. So much wine here, but quite tricky and unfurled now with lots of acid. 93/100
Jalits Welschriesling 2022 Eisenberg, Burgenland, Austria
Rich, sweetly fruited and quite bold with a tangy edge to the weighty yellow fruits. Yellow plum and some pithy bitter notes on the finish. Lots going on here, combining riper, richer flavours with some good acidity and a bitter note countering the fruit. 92/100
Straka Ried Prantner Rechnitz Welschriesling 2022 Eisenberg, Burgenland, Austria
Vineyard planted in 1930 at high altitude. Ungrafted vines. Foot-trodden, 24 h skin contact, wild ferment large oak. This is a little bit wild with what tastes like some Brettanomyces adding a spicy, phenolic edge to the sweet yellow fruits. This is spicy and distinctive and not unappealing with this spicy character, but also perhaps a tiny bit of mousiness. 85/100
Krutzler Ried Ratschen Deutsch Schutzen Welschriesling 2022 Eisenberg, Burgenland, Austria
This has nice density with bold sweet pear and citrus fruit as well as some yellow plum. Nice density with good balance. Some savoury, stony notes in the mix, too. 92/100
Stubits Ried Kleincsater Weißer Opal Kohfidisch Welschriesling 2023 Eisenberg, Burgenland, Austria
Bright and energetic with a twist of green apple as well as lively citrus and some yellow plum. There’s a nice focus and freshness to this wine with keen citrus on the finish. Textural and nicely layered. 92/100
Andreas Grosz Gaas ‘Maria Weinberg’ Blaufränkisch 2021 Eisenberg, Burgenland, Austria
Supple and fresh with ripe, sweet cherry and raspberry fruit as well as firm tannins and good acidity, as well as a touch of sweet oak. Nice brightness and grip here with lovely balance. Finishes firm and a bit angular. 91/100
Groszer Wein Blaufränkisch 2021 Eisenberg, Burgenland, Austria
Sweet cherry and plum fruit with some spiciness. There’s some angle here with bright tannins and a stony, mineral, almost ferrous edge. There’s a firmness here, and a special character, perhaps from the iron-rich soils. Angular and with nice edges. 93/100
Andreas Grosz Ried Janoschberg Gaas Blaufränkisch 2021 Eisenberg, Burgenland, Austria
Supple and sweetly aromatic with nice floral berry fruit and perhaps a touch of spicy oak. In the mouth this is elegant with sweet cherry and plum fruit as well as some mineral, spicy notes. Nice freshness and detail with some spiciness on the finish. Grainy with nice grip on the finish. 93/100
Krutzler Ried Weinberg Deutsch Schützen Blaufränkisch 2021 Eisenberg, Burgenland, Austria
Fresh and tangy with a savoury, mineral edge to the bright cherry and raspberry fruit. It has some angles with some stony notes and then a firm tannic finish. Lovely savouriness, energy and intensity with a slightly bloody finish. Finishes mineral and firm. 94/100
Groszer Wein Ried Szapary Blaufränkisch 2021 Eisenberg, Burgenland, Austria
This is so refined, but it still has the lovely Eisenberg edges. Bright and vivid with amazing focus to the cherry and raspberry fruit with nice grip. There’s a lovely tangy edge to the fruit, good tannins, and good acidity. Bloody, mineral and focused with nice energy, as well as some grip. 95/100
Wachter Wiesler Ried Reihburg Blaufränkisch 2021 Eisenberg, Burgenland, Austria
Beautiful concentration and intensity here with stony, mineral details, some bloody intensity and then bright, energetic red berry and cherry fruit with a stony detail on the finish. There’s some elegance and flow to the fruit as well with just enough generosity to keep things fine and refined. 95/100
Jalits Ried Saybritz Blaufränkisch 2021 Eisenberg, Burgenland, Austria
This is generous with some chalky focus to the bright cherry and raspberry fruit with good energy and a sleekness to the fruit. Really harmonious and well balanced with a touch of grip but not too much. 94/100
Older wines:
Krutzler Alts Weingarten Deutsch Schützen Field Blend 2017 Eisenberg
From slate soils, a blend of Welschriesling, Weiss Burgunder and Grüner Veltliner. Lively, bright and linear with green apple, pear and aniseed, as well as some bitter cherry notes. Tangy and linear with a stony finish. Still fresh with real intensity. 92/100
Grosz Eisenberg Reserve Gras Blaufränkisch 2017 Eisenberg
Supple and fine with a chalky edge and elegant red cherry and redcurrant fruit, showing nice texture. There’s a freshness here with direct fruit and fine tannins, with a subtle herbal edge. This is really elegant. 94/100
Straker Welschriesling ‘P…….r’ Rochnitz 2017 Eisenberg
This comes from Prantner vineyard, but at the time this wasn’t allowed on the label. Powerful and citrussy with a lively personality, showing good energy and notes of aniseed adding complexity. Precise and expressive, and really good. 94/100
Grosz Wein Ried Szapary Blaufränkisch 2017 Eisenberg
Concentrated with nice definition and lovely black cherry and raspberry fruit with some stony detail. It’s firm with good fruit intensity and a nice grippy finish, showing mineral undertones. 93/100
Stubits Ried Kleincaster Weisser Opal Kohfidisch Welchsriesling 2019 Eisenberg
Lively, stony, bright and transparent with really nice focus and a touch of aniseed and grapefruit pith. Very fine. 94/100
Jaltis Ried Saybritz Blaufränkisch 2017 Eisenberg
Complex, linear and taut with lovely pure raspberry and cherry fruit, showing nice focus and fruit purity. Lovely tarry fruit with a hint of iron and mineral. So linear and delicious. 95/100
Straka Welschriesling Ried Pranter Rochnitz 3330 2017 Eisenberg
Lively and intense with nice acidity. So juicy and fine with good acidity and stony detail. This is really fresh. 94/100
Wachter Wiesler Blaufränkisch Alte Reben 2017 Eisenberg
Fresh, grainy and gravelly with a savoury twist and some mineral notes. There’s focus and precision here with some nice stony, mineral detail. Really lovely now. 94/100
Jalits Welschriesling Reserve 2021 Eisenberg
Nice concentration of bright pear, cherry and lemon fruit. Supple with juicy lemony notes and some tangerine and pear. There’s elegance here. 94/100
Krutzler Ried Weinberg Blaufränkisch Reserve 2017 Eisenberg
Lovely blackcurrant and black cherry fruit. This is linear and youthful with firmness and intensity, as well as nice grippy structure. Juicy, focused and very fine. 95/100
