(Manfred Klimek / Animated image: Runwayml)
I’m continuing my winter journey through the world of winemakers, which aims to shed light on the winemakers and their global outlook and vision – at a time when everyone working in the wine industry must equip themselves with a vast array of skills to respond to a market that is undergoing radical change. Today: the story of two winemaking couples. First stop: Rheinhessen. The Rote Hang is historically a monument to white wine. Riesling, red slate, acidity. Red wine does not feature in the classic narratives here – or at most as a footnote. And that is precisely why it is worth taking a look at the winery run by Lisa Bunn and Bastian Strebel. The pair began taking over their parents’ business in 2011 – not out of romantic impulse, but out of necessity: the switch to organic farming, hand-harvesting, large oak barrels, spontaneous fermentation. Not a radical move of the sort many were pursuing in those years, but rather a cautious shift towards the utmost seriousness.
The 2022 Nierstein Pinot Noir from the Rotliegenden (€20.00) exemplifies this perfectly: no cloyingly sweet Pinot kitsch, no Burgundy knock-off, but a lean, precise wine with mineral tension, delicate fruit and controlled oak: A hint of heart cherry, a surprising amount of cassis, a hint of rosehip, barely any eucalyptus, a hint of earthiness (never overpowering) and a touch of dark chocolate. A standout wine for stews and game.
The Pinot Noir 2022 (€11.90), the entry-level wine, is remarkably unspectacular – in the best sense of the word. Clean, accessible, with no complex nuances requiring explanation: delicious, and gone in a flash. The 2022 Spätburgunder Reserve (€26.00), of course, takes things further: more depth, longer ageing, a palpable sense of calm. No show of muscle, but rather a sense of concentration. And a wine to lay down for the long term.
And then there’s the Frauengarten Pinot Noir ‘Wie alles begann’ 2011 (price on enquiry) on the table. Not a nostalgic product, but a touchstone. In direct comparison with the 2022 vintages, it becomes clear just how much Bunn’s style has evolved: less oak dominance, more precision, more self-assurance. The wine stands the test of time – and, in retrospect, explains why the current vintages come across as so assured.
Next stop: the Wachau in Lower Austria. Twenty years ago, the decision by Elisabeth Pichler and Erich Krutzler – both children of prominent winemakers – to establish their own winery in Oberloiben was still a gamble on making a splash and attracting attention. As with Lisa and Bastian on the Roter Hang, it was not a gesture of rebellion, but rather an intense avant-garde approach – experimenting and letting things unfold – that made the difference: plenty of time in the vineyard, very gentle handling in the cellar, spontaneous fermentations and the courage to prioritise terroir far above passing fads. I tasted exclusively Grüner Veltliners.
The Veltliner Supperin 2024 (€34.00) is a testament to this approach: It reflects the unique site on the Danube Plateau, the salty minerality and the density of the soil, without getting lost in fruit-driven acrobatics – a wine that reveals structure first, and then fruit. The Grüner Veltliner Rothenhof Alte Reben 2024 (€40.00) hints at what old vines are capable of: greater depth, greater tension, a hint of herbaceous complexity, underpinned by mineral freshness: a touch of paprika, a touch of turmeric, a touch of mugwort, plenty of stone fruit, a hint of quince and even a hint of chilled lecsó. Both Veltliners demonstrate how consistently Pichler-Krutzler interpret terroir and translate it into wine.
The Grüner Veltliner Kellerberg 2024 (€58.00) from the flagship vineyard above Dürnstein is a tightly woven, precise wine: it combines the rather gentle minerality of the Danube slopes with a quiet concentration that only begins to unfold after a few minutes in the glass – a result of those long growing seasons and cool nights that characterise the Wachau.
And then there is the Grüner Veltliner Pfaffenberberg Alte Reben ‘late release’ 2015 (€66.00): a wine that demonstrates the power of patience. After pressing, the wine was reductive, mineral and almost purist. After years of bottle ageing, it has now opened up to reveal a dense, creamy, ripe texture – a prime example of just how remarkably well Grüner Veltliner ages without losing its fruit or body.