Claus Preisinger | Château Monty

Claus Preisinger is a Biodynamic wine grower in Gols, a town in the district of Neusiedl am See in the Austrian state of Burgenland. Claus Preisinger was born in 1980. He made his first wine in 2000. He is a member of the respekt-BIODYN group of Biodynamic winegrowers.

Vineyards: Gols, Burgenland. 19 hectares of vineyards with 64 parcels, each between 7 ares to 2 hectares, all within 18 km of the winery in practically all corners of the Pannobile land. Grapes: 90% red (Zweigelt, Blaufränkisch, Sankt Laurent, Pinot Noir, Merlot). 10% white (Chardonnay, Weissburgunder).

Certification: 2006 C1 or AB for the first time. | 2019 Still a member of respekt-BIODYN.

Biodynamics: Claus learnt about Biodynamics via the late Dr Andrew Lorand over a three year period. Horn manure 500 is sprayed in spring before full moon. Horn silica 501 is sprayed only once in very hot years. Compost from cattle manure (bought in) and horses (his father’s). Teas from stinging nettle, chamomile, yarrow, 508 and– for peronospora–birch leaves (Birkenblätterteas).

Closures: The top wines have natural cork. The Classic and the Basic have screw caps.

Sparkling wines

Sankt Laurent, Ancestral: A pet nat.

White wines

Heideboden Weiss: The vineyards for this blend are all situated in the Heideboden close to the Lake Neusiedl. Very varied soils from black earth, to gravel and loam. | 2011 50% each Chardonnay, Pinot Blanc. Hand harvested. Barrel fermented, 9 months on lees. 13.1% alcohol + 2.2g/l. | 2013 32 mg/l total sulphites (Source: catalogue for RAW, London 17/18 May 2015).

Grüner Veltliner: Hand-picked. Vines up to 45 years old, growing in the Edelgraben vineyard above Purbach am Leithaberg. Soils are a mish-mash of slate and limestone. | 2012 Hand picked on September 28th. Spontaneous fermentation, 14 days – everything together – then patience in an old 600-litre barrel. A long nothing-to-do period until the unfiltered, unfined and unsulfured filling. | 2013 Gv [sic] Erdeluftgrasundreben Tafelwein. No added sulphites (Source: catalogue for RAW, London 17/18 May 2015).

Kalkundkiesel Weiss: ‘Chalk and clay’. | L-KKW018. Unfiltered. Crisp white fruit with plenty of texture (tasted 3rd July 2019).

Weisserburgunder: 2013 Wb [sic] Erdeluftgrasundreben Tafelwein No added sulphites (Source: catalogue for RAW, London 17/18 May 2015).

Weisserburgunder, Edelgraben: The grapes for this Pinot Blanc derive from the excellent site Edelgraben on the slopes of Leithagebirge in the West of Lake Neusiedl. | 2011 100% Pinot Blanc. 13.9% + 2.5g/l RS. The grapes were handpicked from vines up to 25 years old and growing in the chalky, slaty soils. Handpicked in the second week of October. Fermentation took place on the skins and the wine matured 18 months in oak barrels on the lease. Bottled unfined and unfiltered. | 2013 Fermented in oak and amphora. Orange wine, tannic at Millésime Bio 2014.

Red wines

Basic: An easy drinking red. The grapes for the Basic come from Zweigelt and Blaufränkisch vineyards to the west and east of Lake Neusiedl. | 2011 50% Zweigelt 50% Blaufränkisch. Hand picked in first week of September, pre-selection in the vineyard, second selection in the winery, natural fermentation in stainless steel tanks, matured for 8 months in small barrels on the yeast.

Blaufrankisch, Buehl: Buehl is the highest and steepest slope on the eastern shore of Lake Neusiedl. South-West exposition allows very early ripening. The soil is mostly sandy loam with high part of gravel with limestone. | 2009 Hand picked at the end of September, first selection in the vineyard, second selection in the winery. Natural fermentation in open vats and barrels. Long maturation on the yeasts in small barrels.

Blaufrankisch, Erdeluftgrasundreben: 2017 13%. Unfiltered. A rich mouthful of dark, soft red fruit (tasted July 2019).

Blaufrankisch, Kalkstein: 2016 Crisp, clean, very savoury (Real Wine Fair, Tobacco Dock 7th May 2017).

Heideboden Rot: From vineyards in the Heideboden, a big vineyard near the Neusiedlersee ranging from Wagram to Seewinkel and you find a lot of different kinds of soil, from black earth, gravel to loam. | 2011 50% Zweigelt 30% Blaufränkisch 20% Merlot. Hand. Natural fermentation in stainless steel and in open vats, matured for 14 months in small barrels on the lees.

Kalkundkiesel Rot: 2016 Lovely zip and freshness at the Real Wine Fair, Tobacco Dock 7th May 2017. | L-KKR017 12% alc. Smooth dark fruit with mouthwatering inner freshness (Oct 2019)

Pannobile:The grapes for this premium blend grow in the so called “Pannobile Area”. A widespread range of top sites east of Lake Neusiedl. | 2011 60% Zweigelt 40% Blaufränkisch. Hand picked from the end of September to the beginning of October, first selection in the vineyard, second selection in the winery. Natural fermentation in open vats, barrels and stainless steel tanks for three weeks. Matured for 18 months in small barrels. | 2012 40mg/l total sulphites (Source: catalogue for RAW, London 17/18 May 2015).

Paradigma: The grapes come mainly from the Parndorfer Platte. An elevated plateau characterized by cool winds from the west and north-west. | 2011 60% Blaufränkisch, 40% Merlot. Hand picked in September, first selection in the vineyard, second selection in the winery. Natural fermentation in open vats, barrels and stainless steel tanks for four weeks. Matured for 18 months in small barrels.

Pinot noir: The grapes come from the Parndorfer Platte. An elevated plateau characterized by cool winds from the west and north-west. | 2011 Hand picked in September, pre-selection in the vineyard, second selection in the winery, old school winemaking and natural fermentation in stainless steel and in open vats for three – four weeks, matured for 14 months in small barrels. | 2013 47mg/l total sulphites (Source: catalogue for RAW, London 17/18 May 2015). | 2014 1,000-litre botti. Unfiltered. Low aded sulfites. Slightly cloudy and very pale. Pretty red cherry nose, wildness to it too; delicate; on the palate as really salty, savoury, mineral, with nice length to the very delicate fruit at Tenuta Manincor 24th June 2016.

Sankt Laurent: From the Goldberg. | 2011 Hand picked in September. Fermented in a large open wooden cask. 21 day maceration. 14 months in used barrels. Minimal sulfites. | 2012 Aged in 1,200 litres casks because, as Claus told me at Millésime Bio 2014, ‘Sankt Laurent is too low in alcohol to survive in barrel.’ 28mg/l total sulphites (Source: catalogue for RAW, London 17/18 May 2015). Crisp at Millésime Bio 2014.

Zweigelt: Zweigelt grapes from the same top sites in the Pannobile area as the ones used for the Pannobile. | 2012 Hand picked in the first weeks of September. Selection in the vineyard, then again in the winery, natural fermentation in stainless steel tanks, for 10 months in small barrels on the yeast. Paris

Contact

Weingut Claus Preisinger

Goldbergstrasse 60

A-7122 Gols, Austria

Tel+43 02173.2592 | Website: www.clauspreisinger.at