Location and landscape
Langenlois is situated at the southern end of the Kamptal, on the border between the Waldviertel and the Weinviertel. Here, the south-eastern foothills of the Waldviertel merge into loess landscapes. The Loisbach originates near Gföhl, flows in a south-easterly direction and enters the Kamp at Gobelsburg within the municipality limits.
The climate is shaped by sunny days, hot summers and refreshing nights. At night, cool forest air flows into the Kamptal, while the forests of the Waldviertel protect the vineyards from cold north-westerly winds. The vineyard sites include steep Kamp terraces, which are supported by old dry-stone walls.
Soils and viticulture
The municipality comprises around 2,000 hectares of vineyard area. The vineyards are often small in scale and separated by uncultivated strips that provide a habitat for flora and fauna. On the Langenlois Loiserberg, the vineyard areas lie at about 260 to 380 metres above sea level and are oriented south to south-east. There, carbonate-free brown earths occur over siliceous crystalline rocks such as paragneiss, mica schist and amphibolite; towards the south-east, the proportion of loess increases.
Further sites show different geological conditions: the Käferberg is a warm, sheltered site with crystalline rocks as well as younger deposits of clay marl, sand and in part gravel. The Dechant consists of south-east-facing terraces with loess-clay soils containing lime.
Wines and origin
Langenlois belongs to the legally defined origin area of the Kamptal DAC. The wines may be made from Grüner Veltliner, Riesling, Chardonnay, Weißburgunder or Grauburgunder. Grüner Veltliner is described as fruity and gently spiced, while Riesling is described as fragrant, elegant and mineral. The origin hierarchy includes area wine, village wine and vineyard wine.
The history of viticulture dates back to the Göttweig records from about 1072 to 1091, in which Langenlois is mentioned as Liubisa in connection with tithes on wine. The name Langenlois has been documented since 1413; in 1925, the town was raised from a market town to a city.
Winemaking at Bründlmayer
Bründlmayer farms around Langenlois, among other sites including the Loiserberg and Berg Vogelsang. The grapes are harvested between September and December, often in several passes, hand-selected and taken to the pneumatic press in small crates. The must ferments at cool temperatures in stainless steel or wood and matures for about three to 18 months depending on the grape variety. In the cellar, processing is carried out in a gravity flow without pumps.