Claus Preisinger

Based in his native village of Gols, on the northern shore of Lake Neusiedl, Claus Preisinger has established himself as one of the leading figures in Burgenland, the warm wine-growing region of south-easternAustria, where the mineral nature of the soils and the moderate continental climate produce vibrant red wines. His wine estate, located between the shores of the lake and the first hills of the Leitha, a hundred kilometers south of Vienna, is today a benchmark for natural wine, recognized for the purity and sensitivity of its cuvées, where every gesture aims to reveal the balance of the terroir.

Trained as a teenager in viticulture by his father, who owned a few hectares of vines in his native region, Claus Preisinger immersed himself in the profession from an early age. After studying oenology, he honed his skills at the Hans Nittnaus wine estate, a Burgenland landmark that marked a qualitative turning point for Austrian red wines in the 1990s. This decisive step paved the way for an ambitious viticulture, focused on the precision of wine through the identity of local grape varieties and a detailed understanding of the soil. In 2000, aged just 20, he produced his first cuvée under his own name, laying the foundations for a personal adventure based on rigor and intuition.

Claus Preisinger soon joined the Pannobile group, an alliance of Burgenland winemakers committed to promoting their indigenous grape varieties, notably Blaufränkisch and Zweigelt, through terroir-based viticulture. In 2006, he embarked on a complete conversion to biodynamic viticulture, convinced that respect for living organisms and soil balance are the essential conditions for the right expression of his wines. Since then, the wine estate has been certified by Respekt Biodyn, a prestigious Austro-German label with particularly demanding specifications, combining biodynamic principles, scientific observation and sustainable viticultural practices.

Claus Preisinger's winemaking practices reflect the same exacting standards of accuracy and authenticity inherent in his natural wine philosophy. The grapes are hand-harvested and carefully selected. In the cellar, fermentation takes place spontaneously, without the use of commercial or cultivated yeasts. Ageing is almost exclusively carried out in amphorae, a choice that allows gentle, natural micro-oxygenation, while respecting the freshness, minerality and purity of the fruit. Interventions are kept to a minimum, with little or no added sulfites, thus favoring the liveliness and energy of the wines. This approach helps create wines of great finesse, lightness and vibrancy.

Faithful to his origins and the typical Burgenland style, he works mainly with local grape varieties: Blaufränkisch, Zweigelt and Saint Laurent. Pinot Noir, to which he is particularly devoted, finds free expression here. The whites are not to be outdone: Grüner Veltliner, and Weißburgunder (Pinot Blanc). In this part of Burgenland, where the warm winds of the Pannonian plain meet the coolness of the Neusiedlersee, Claus Preisinger cultivates some thirty parcels scattered around Gols and on the Leithaberg hills. This patchwork of grape varieties is based on a remarkable diversity of soils: quartz and gravel on the plateau, shell limestone in the hills, friable schist and red silt on the lakeshore. Each locality has its own energy, which Claus strives to bring out without ever standardizing. The continental climate, tempered by the inertia of the lake, enables the grapes to be harvested at perfect maturity, while retaining a vibrant freshness in the wines.

Today, the Claus Preisinger wine estate is known for a range of major cuvées, where each wine tells the story of the terroir, the character of the grape varieties and the commitment of this young winemaker:

• Zweigelt Kieselstein is conceived as an immediate expression of the Zweigelt grape variety on gravelly lakeside terroir: it offers pure fruit, silky texture and remarkable digestibility, true to the wine's natural approach.
• Blaufränkisch Kalkstein embodies Burgenland's mineral identity, drawing its energy from lean, saline limestone plots, where tannins remain fine and structure straight.
• The Kalkundkiesel, a complex blend from limestone and gravel terroirs, is the most coherent reflection of the soil: a subtle balance between saline tension and juiciness, with an interpretation of the terroir that's free of artifice.
• The Bonzaï, vinified entirely in amphora, is the quintessence of the wine estate's philosophy: gentle extraction, well-controlled acidity, light elegance and lively concentration, with no visible oenological intervention. Pinot Noir, planted on small, fresh plots, takes on a surprisingly pure and delicate dimension here: vinified in whole bunches, with slow fermentations, it reveals restrained red fruit, fine spice and subtle length.
• Paradigma, a blend of Blaufränkisch and sometimes Merlot, is distinguished by a more ambitious structure, dense but polished tannins, and a long profile marked by a discreet minerality, a reflection of the limestone soils of the Leithaberg.
• Finally, the cuvée Erdeluftgrasundreben Blaufränkisch (exact spelling respected) embodies, by its very name meaning "earth, air, grass and vines", the free spirit of the wine estate: a wine without vintage or capsule, matured with patience, like a living manifesto of natural winemaking and terroir expressivity.

Claus Preisinger embodies a modern, demanding vision of Austrian winegrowing, where tradition and innovation combine to reveal the unique soul of Burgenland. His wines illustrate a demanding vision of nature, with aromatic precision, fine tension and exceptional organoleptic coherence. All the cuvées reflect constant progress and a desire to constantly challenge oneself. In each bottle, you can feel the desire to push the precision of the winemaker's gesture ever further.