Weingut Bründlmayer

The Bründlmayer winery is located in Langenlois in the Kamptal, where the Kamptal meets the Danube Valley. The vineyards benefit from warm days, cool nights, and dry, fresh air from the Kamptal. The forests of the Waldviertel provide protection from cold north-westerly winds.

The roughly 94 hectares of vineyard area are situated mostly on slopes and on terraces away from road traffic. The soils include gneiss and paragneiss as well as deep loess and clay. At Heiligenstein, permian desert sandstone that is 250 to 270 million years old can be found; Loiserberg and Berg Vogelsang are shaped by Loisberger zoisite amphibolite. The Käferberg consists of barren primary rock with clay-rich marine deposits, the Lamm of permian rock with a calcareous clay layer.

The family vineyards have been farmed since 2015 according to certified organic standards. Swarding, mulching and composting promote soil life; chemical fertilisers and herbicides, according to the winery, are not used. For grape tortrix, pheromone methods are used in the most important sites. A significant portion of the vines is trained in the Lyra system, supplemented by gentle pruning according to Simonit & Sirch. The oldest vines are more than 90 years old.

The average yield is about 4,000 litres per hectare. Grüner Veltliner is the most important grape variety, followed by Riesling. The published composition of the vineyard area includes about 36% Grüner Veltliner, 25% Riesling, 9% Pinot Noir, 9% Zweigelt, 5% St. Laurent, 5% Chardonnay and 5% Pinot Gris; smaller areas are accounted for by Cabernet Franc and Muscateller.

The varietal wines are described as clear expressions of grape variety and origin, while the site wines highlight the interplay of soil and fruit. Riesling grows particularly on the stony sites Heiligenstein and Steinmassl and is matured there into clear, dry wines.

The harvest takes place from September to the end of October. The grapes are hand-selected, transported in small crates, and quickly brought into the cellar. There, they are pressed pneumatically at low pressure. Temperature-controlled fermentation takes place in stainless-steel tanks or directly in wooden casks. To avoid pumping, must and wine are moved by gravity. For Grüner Veltliner and Riesling, biological acid reduction is generally avoided; for red wines and some Chardonnay and sparkling wine vintages, however, it is used.

Willi Bründlmayer has been producing the sparkling wine Bründlmayer Brut since 1989. Since 1947, the most valuable wines of each vintage have been archived in the 700-year-old vinotheque. In the cellar, photovoltaics, geothermal energy and well water are used.