The Steingraben vineyard overlooking Gedersdorf only reveals its treasures at a price: a large part of the site has not been terraced, so working the vines calls for stamina and a passion for the variety that is in its element here – Riesling. The terroir could not be better, with rock and clay sharing the ground in a unique symbiosis. The upper sections of the vineyard are dominated by a conglomerate formed millions of years ago from the rocks of the Limestone Alps and slowly carried northwards by the original course of the river Traisen. The proportion of loess soil increases towards the bottom of the valley, contributing – in line with its mission in life – to the outstanding minerality of the wines, which owe their full-bodied flavour to this special location.
So what a stroke of luck that such an interesting name was found for this piece of south-facing land on the Eastern fringes of the Kremstal valley: it was originally called “Ungut” (literally “not good”) – due to the stony ground that made working it so difficult. But it is that chalky, gravelly make-up that ensures the yields on this south-facing slope are anything but “ungut”! The conglomerate is covered by fertile loess soil, particularly in the lower sections. A set of geological attributes that not only produce great Grüner Veltliner, but also peerless Pinot Blancs, Neuburgers and Rieslings.
Moosburgerin – a classic example of how Austria likes to understate something meaningful. But the name is not taken from a salt-of-the-earth winegrower – instead it refers to the former lands of Bavaria’s Mossburg collegiate monastery. Here, too, in this south-facing vineyard, loess soil plays a leading role as well as its trump card. It gives the grapes that thrive on it a fresh note, while adding potential for ageing in combination with the limestone conglomerate farther below. A huge range of options that only the Moosburgerin is in a position to bring out.
