2022

Excellent

A warm and dry year produced surprisingly fruity and lively results. The whit weines prove accessible and pleasurable to drink. The reds reveal harmonic structure and bold tannin.

Weather patterns in 2022: The early months of the year were defined by harsh winds and a lack of precipitation, marking the third dry and mild winter in a row. Nonetheless, cool temperatures continued well into April, while just as in previous years, May developed into a back and forth between very warm days above 30 °C and chilly mornings that dipped to near frost levels. In late May, thick fog showed up as well. June was characterized by persistently damp leaves and fungal infections. The blossoming stage was drawn out, leading to a somewhat uneven ripeness in the grapes that ultimately shaped into a fresh character to the vintage.

Finally, in early June, the first substantial rains in nine months came down and right away the vines and the greenery between the rows erupted in splendid bloom. That surplus of moisture was well needed in July and August as the sun pounded mercilessly and the sky released no real rain to speak of.

All the small salt lakes in our Seewinkel area dried up, while Lake Neusiedl also dropped to its lowest water level since the 1960s.

A further heat wave hit in mid-August with temperatures as high as 39 °C. Heat and arid conditions left their mark in withered leaves, and at more parched spots the grapes were as small as peas. This put younger plants in particular under great stress, while older, deeper rooted vines managed the scarceness of water better.

The end of August proved the time to begin harvesting the white varieties, while come mid-September it was turn for the reds.
On the heels of some very cool nights, the late-ripening Blaufränkisch grapes were at peak for harvesting, and by September we wrapped up the whole harvest.

The wines show surprisingly bright fruitiness, as well as a fullness on the palate, and the 2022 vintage fits right in with those in a long series of exceptional years.