(Manfred Klimek, photo: Stefan Feichtinger WEIN & CO / brilliantly flawed animation: Runwayml)
Heike and Gernot Heinrich were already established young winemakers when they launched the first Salberg cuvée in 2001 – 90 per cent Merlot, 10 per cent Zweigelt. People were soon talking about ‘Austria’s Mouton’, which was, of course, nonsense, but the Heinrichs were quite right not to take offence – after all, their Salzberg was the first red wine in the country to come close to the 70-euro mark (1,000 schillings). In 2001, it was not simply another Burgenland red wine cuvée, but part of a larger vision: that new era which began with the Arachon cuvée (F.X.Pichler, Szemes, Tement – now led by Oscar Szemes) and which gave Burgenland red wine a new sense of identity. Away from provincialism, away from sheer bravado, towards terroir, structure, elegance and clearly recognisable longevity.
During this phase, the Salzberg was one of the first premium red wines to demonstrate that Blaufränkisch, Zweigelt, St. Laurent and Merlot need not cancel each other out, but can instead bring out the best in one another. Not as a haphazard blend, but as a precisely composed whole.
A vineyard grows – and with it, the idea
The Salzberg is not a classically ‘great’ vineyard in the Burgundian sense, nor is it a neatly demarcated, monolithic terroir. It is a jigsaw puzzle. It has evolved over decades, plot by plot. Napoleonic inheritance law left behind not an aesthetic, but fragmentation – and it is precisely from this that a strength has emerged. Clay, silt, limestone, sand and gravel do not lie neatly on top of one another, but side by side, sometimes in conflict with one another. For the winegrower, this is no relief, but a real challenge. For the wine, however, it is a fantastic opportunity to shine in an extraordinary way.
This diversity of soils is accompanied by a microclimate that is unforgiving. The vineyard faces the sun, water is scarce, and the vines have to work hard. The berries remain small, the skins thick, and yields low. Combined with biodynamic cultivation, this does not produce a pliant red wine, but one with body, grip and inner tension. At the upper edge of the Salzberg, where the soil becomes thinner and gravel dominates, the Zweigelt takes centre stage – not as a charmer, but as the structural backbone. Part of this goes into the regional Pannobile project; the Salzberg itself remains the sum total.
Ageing without embellishment
The Salzberg matures for around 20 months, primarily in used barriques. This is no cosmetic gesture, but a decision against superficial seduction. The wood is meant to accompany, not to dominate. What remains is a wine that develops depth. The cuvée is no compromise, but a translation: Blaufränkisch for tension and acidity, Merlot for body, St. Laurent for dark spice, Zweigelt for earthiness.
The 2018 vintage – concentration rather than posturing
The 2018 vintage, which I now had in my glass (50% Blaufränkisch, 50% Merlot), shows just how much the Salzberg has refined itself over the years. On the nose, no banal fruit explosion, but dark, ripe berries, accompanied by hints of olives, herbs and even a scent reminiscent of dried Italian tomatoes. Smoky notes, tobacco, a touch of pepper – all intricately interwoven. Nothing stands alone. Unpretentiously perfect. Two varieties that complement each other perfectly, flowing seamlessly into one another.
On the palate, the wine feels firm and juicy at the same time. The fruit is present, but not allowed to take centre stage. A cool acidity runs through the wine; the tannins are fine, perceptible, yes, but already astonishingly well-integrated. In the background, herbs, dark spices and a salty note that adds structure rather than simply flattering the palate. Precise and perfect – the result of 24 years of skilful cuvée craftsmanship.
Retrospective and the present
‘Salzberg revisited’ also means that this wine is, of course, different today from that of the first vintages. And yet, to put it simply, it has remained true to itself, because Gernot Heinrich never lost his way, never sacrificed it to passing fashions – and did not hype the Salzberg itself to the skies; a shrewd move. Whilst many premium red wines from the early 2000s now seem like relics of an over-the-top era, the Salzberg has retained a certain timeless quality. Perhaps because it never aimed for maximum impact in the here and now.
In the context of Arachon, the Salzberg was a building block of a greater promise: that Burgenland can produce red wines that do not need to explain where they come from, because we can taste it. This promise has been fulfilled – not spectacularly, but quietly. Heinrich produces too few bottles for the global market. For wine drinkers around the world, however, this 2018 vintage is the continuation of a great narrative.