Simon J Woolf picks his favorites from Kamptal’s Single Vineyard Summit.
Comparisons are often made between the VDP, or Association of Premium Winemakers, in Germany, and the ÖTW, or Austrian Traditional Winemakers, in Austria. The latter is the organizer of the annual Single Vineyard Summit (SVS) in Kamptal, Lower Austria. Both are private associations that were formed decades ago, to plug the considerable gaps in their country’s respective wine laws. Both have become powerful lobbyists for change. But there the similarities end, as ÖTW president (as well as director of Schloss Gobelsburg) Michael Moosbrugger explained to me recently: “The VDP sees itself as the elite of German wine. I always had a problem with this. As soon as you say, We are the best, then there are winemakers of second class.”
Moosbrugger asserts that the ÖTW’s role is not to make qualitative judgments but rather to provide a platform that promotes the importance of vineyard sites and all of its members equally. This links to his overarching vision of winemaking, as an activity historically embedded in community and society. He contrasts this with the modern trend for individualism, implying that a community’s traditions should be of greater value than the individual’s wish to make their own more radical decisions about harvest, winemaking, or viticulture.
Whether one buys fully into Moosbrugger’s collectivist stance or not, there is no doubt that the ÖTW has moved mountains. Its efforts to catalog and qualify single-vineyard sites over the past 15 years have directly influenced national wine law. Single-vineyard names are now regulated and can only be used on the label under stringent conditions. A national classification of Erste Lage and Grosse Lage sites (premiers and grands crus, if you prefer) is also in the works.
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Given that this classification has been the ÖTW’s core goal for the past two decades, is their work now done? Moosbrugger says categorically not: “We’re trying to be a good service platform,” he replies, explaining that work on vineyard classifications will continue in regions that aren’t yet covered by official designations. He also sees the organization’s role as being an agitator and promoter where appellations (DACs, in Austria) are felt to be suboptimal. A good example is Wiener Gemischter Satz—a traditional field blend not formally recognized by a DAC until 2013. The ÖTW had long since acknowledged it as a valid expression of single-vineyard wines.
The ÖTW is still expanding, partly because neighboring regions have consistently wanted in on what they see as a powerful and effective association. From its beginnings as a small group of winemakers from Kremstal and Kamptal, it now numbers 92 wineries across every Austrian region that touches the Danube. The final two regions to join were Thermenregion (2022) and Weinviertel (2025). Both might unkindly be dubbed ugly ducklings in the modern era, but Moosbrugger has a different take: “When you’re looking into history, it’s much more on the side of these regions than of Kamptal or the Danube. The value of these regions was clearly higher 100 years ago,” he says. He adds a fascinating quote from a Wachau priest in 1834, who wrote that the now-famed region only managed to make wine every second year—in alternate years, the result was vinegar, which luckily sold for the same price.
By the time the ÖTW was formed in 1992, Wachau had long since created its own association, which dwarfs its cousin in size: Vinea Wachau has more than 200 members. Since 2023, it partners with the ÖTW, as does a group of 12 Styrians (the STK, or Steirische Terroir & Klassik Weingüter) and two key Burgenland DACs: Leithaberg and Eisenberg.
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The resulting conglomerate together presents the Single Vineyard Tasting, which thus covers pretty much the entire country. (It is only Mittelburgenland and the very marginal Corinthia and Bergland that are missing.) This year, a total of 533 wines were presented over five days. The ÖTW requires all wines in the tasting to hold a DAC classification, apart from some specific exceptions noted below. Austria’s significant subculture of minimal-intervention winemakers is thus largely excluded. Anything from lightly hazy wine to excess reduction or an outlawed blend of grape varieties can mean game over for DAC acceptance.
It’s not a perfect system, but the SVS remains one of the best overviews of high-level Austrian wine imaginable. Because regions differ on release policies, at least five different vintages were presented (2020–24). I have provided brief vintage notes region by region.
The following 40 recommendations represent my favorites from each region or DAC. All are outstanding wines within their peer groups. They are thus not necessarily my 40 highest-scoring wines but, rather, a more diverse selection from the upper quadrant of this exceptional tasting.
Tasting Austria’s best single-vineyard wines
WACHAU
Halfway through September 2024, torrential rain hit lower Austria. Roman Horvath, director of Domäne Wachau, told me that only 10–20% of the grapes were harvested by that point. The Wachau’s flood defenses helped prevent disasters, but the rain meant a delayed harvest and difficult selection. A number of the Rieslings felt overripe to me. There are still too many Grüner Veltliner Smaragds—a theoretically premium category—showing simple banana and estery characters. These are telltale signs of cold fermentation with selected yeasts—hardly terroir winemaking.
Georg Frischengruber Ried Goldberg Riesling Smaragd 2024 (13% ABV)
Wachau DAC
From a steeply terraced site in Rossatz, on the opposite bank of the river from the most famous sites. Bright and citrusy, with beautifully defined lime and passion-fruit notes. Fresh and vivid, with just enough body to balance the acids. Refined, very youthful, and a wine that deserves a few years’ aging. Frischengruber’s two Kreuzberg Smaragds also impressed. | 93
Lagler Ried Steinporz Riesling Smaragd 2024 (13.5% ABV)
Wachau DAC
From vineyards in Spitz, the coolest and highest part of the valley. Fresh and peachy on the nose, then the palate hits quite without warning with a spicy, blowsy intensity. A riper style of Riesling that is tangy, spicy, and brimming with interest. It finishes long and gingery, fizzing along with mineral tension. | 93
Domäne Roland Chan Ried Bach Grüner Veltliner Smaragd 2023 (13% ABV)
Wachau DAC
A newish micro-estate (2ha [5 acres]) founded in 2017. Crisp, quite textured style, with charming apple and pear fruit, plenty of concentration but also restraint and elegance. Lots of spicy detail, hints of honey, salt, and minerals. | 92
Weinhofmeisterei Mathias Hirtzberger Ried Gaisberg Riesling Smaragd 2024 (13.5% ABV)
Wachau DAC
Franz Hirtzberger’s brother, with a distinct, lighter house style. Fresh green herbs and ripe lime zest on the nose, some passion fruit. Beautiful lift and lots of depth to the palate and the finish. Stellar fruit focus; juicy, energetic. So enjoyable now and will be interesting to follow over the next few years. | 93
Schneeweiss Ried Achleiten Riesling Smaragd 2024 (14% ABV)
Wachau DAC
The old-school style done right. Botrytis, richness; tastes like a 10-year-old dry Auslese from the Mosel, only with a bit less acidity. Lots going on, expressive, spicy; baked fruits, candied peel. Nice to have this kind of style bone-dry. Long and pure on the finish. | 92
KAMPTAL
Many estates now bottle and present their wines one year later. The 2023s showed beautifully, with Heiligenstein a particular highlight. In addition to the recommendation below, Bründlmayer and Jurtschitsch Alte Reben are outstanding. The 2024s are a more mixed bunch, with occasional signs of dilution. Those who harvested after the rain managed to attain good ripeness, but acidity is on the softer side.
Hirsch Ried Gaisberg Grüner Veltliner 2024 (13% ABV)
Kamptal DAC
Spicy and zesty, the palate is thrilling, with fresh, vivid lemon peel and honey. There is a generosity and ripeness to the wine, but it still feels refined. One to age. Biodynamic. | 94
Jurtschitsch Ried Käferberg Grüner Veltliner 2023 (12.5% ABV)
Kamptal DAC
This is magical. The nose is initially shy, suggesting candied peel and crushed herbs. The palate has preserved lemons, pear slices, and salt. Such a compact, elegant texture and mouthfeel. And then it follows through with a long, wispy finish. Delicate and elegant. | 95
Bründlmayer Ried Loiserberg Grüner Veltliner 2024 (12.5% ABV)
Kamptal DAC
A delicate, mineral thing, with a salty, peppery energy that fizzes into life on the attack of the wine. Green herbs and candied citrus peel—a wonderfully light and elegant style of Grüner that dances and effervesces across the palate. | 95
Fred Loimer Ried Loiserberg Cuvée 2023 (12.5% ABV)
Kamptal DAC
This blend of 67% Grüner Veltliner and 33% Riesling refutes the absolute pedantry that suggests only varietal wines can show origin. This is a beautiful expression of Loiserberg’s slaty soils, with pin-sharp acids and a lick of citrus rounded out with peach on the palate. Elegant and refreshing, a wonderful blend. | 92
Schloss Gobelsburg Heiligenstein Riesling 2023 (13.5% ABV)
Kamptal DAC
Fizzing with a crystalline, salty energy, this is a glorious expression of this stony site, with vibrant lime and mango fruit and the feeling that you’re popping space candy. Enjoy it for its youthfulness now, or age for five or more years to see where it goes. | 95
Steininger Ried Kogelberg Grüner Veltliner 2024
Kamptal DAC
From a cooler site close to Heiligenstein, with lots of granite and gneiss in the soil. Angelica root, crushed herbs, and fruit candies. A very delicate and restrained style, wispy and nuanced. Light-bodied and filigree. | 93
KREMSTAL
Some rather clunky, overripe Grüners from the 2023 vintage, and mixed results in 2024 (as above). Overall, fewer outstanding wines here than in Kamptal.
Stadt Krems Wachtberg Grüner Veltliner 2024 (13.5% ABV)
Kremstal DAC
Quality seems to be on a roll at this municipality-owned winery. It was not ever thus. Spicy and mineral driven, with a delicate but assertively peppery finish. Lovely balance and restraint with the ripeness level; a nice citrusy backbeat to Grüner’s more honeyed, rounded character. Generous on the finish. | 92
Proidl Ried Hochäcker Riesling Reserve 2024 (13% ABV)
Kremstal DAC
Classic Proidl style—tangy, mouthwatering, and deft—from a vintage in which they were unusually inconsistent. There is crushed lemon peel on the nose, like the smell of freshly made lemonade. Mouthwatering acidity that balances brilliantly with all the fruit detail on the palate: candied citrus peel and grapefruit chunks. Age this for five years, because it’s a baby right now. | 94
Petra Unger Ried Gaisberg Riesling 2024 (13.5% ABV)
Kremstal DAC
Crisp and tangy, with quite a bit of texture. Bone-dry on the finish, with creamy, leesy detail on the nose and palate. Fresh lemon peel adds excitement to the nose. An exciting, sculpted Riesling from a vineyard rich in gneiss and schist. | 93
Christina & Rainer Wess Ried Kögl Grüner Veltliner 2024 (12.5% ABV)
Kremstal DAC
The first vintage for this rebooted winery, with daughter Christina joining her father at the helm. Elegant and refined, a major stylistic change for those who know Rainer’s wines. Subtle pepper and capsicum notes, but overridingly fruit- and citrus-driven. Beautiful freshness and energy. | 92
TRAISENTAL
Markus Huber Ried Zwirch Grüner Veltliner 2024 (13% ABV)
Traisental DAC
A light and elegant Grüner, showing capsicum and ripe orchard fruits. Hints of candied peel, full of interest and nuance even at this young age. The finish is steely and slaty. Delicious. Huber remains light years ahead of anyone else in this small subregion. Every one of his 2024s impressed me. | 93
WAGRAM
Growers showed a mixture of 2023s and 2024s this year. The 2023s stole my heart: a more straightforward vintage, following a hot and mostly dry growing season. The region’s biodynamic triumvirate of Diwald, Fritsch, and Ott dominated my top scores. I don’t want to appear slavish, but these three estates are simply making better wine.
Fritsch Ried Schlossberg Grüner Veltliner 2023 (12.5% ABV)
Wagram DAC
Amazing tension and racy acidity. Fizzing with minerals. Suggests green capsicum and apricots straight from the tree. So fresh and refined. | 94
Martin & Ulli Diwald Ried Goldberg Grüner Veltliner 2023 (12.5% ABV)
Wagram DAC
Just-ripe apricot, with sliced pear, pin-sharp definition, and beautiful freshness. The fruit is so vibrant and typical of the variety. There’s a spicy, peppery thing going on, but it sits in the background and lets the fruit do the talking. Long and refined on the finish. Conversion to biodynamic viticulture seems to be paying handsome dividends. Goldberg Riesling 2023 is almost as spectacular. | 95
WEINVIERTEL
I’m not yet convinced that this large region, northwest of Vienna and bordering the Czech Republic, is best represented by its single-vineyard Grüners. Its fate was sealed with the creation of the Grüner Veltliner-only DAC back in 2001, but the region’s long tradition of Gemischter Satz interests me more. The ÖTW mercifully included some of these wines in the tasting, even though they don’t qualify for the DAC.
Gerhard J Lobner Ried Rochusberg Terra Aurea 2024 (13.5% ABV)
Gemischter Satz from a 70-year-old plot planted on chalky clay soils. Juicy and uplifting, with racy acidity. Riesling seems quite present in the mix. Gooseberry, mango—lovely fruit definition and so fresh. Salivating, moreish, and characterful, yet with refinement. | 93
Ebner-Ebenauer Ried Sauberg Grüner Veltliner 2024 (barrel sample; 13% ABV)
Weinviertel DAC
Wonderful lift and energy. Taut, youthful fruit, citrus and white peach, the merest hint of gun flint. A light and slightly lean style that deserves another year or two of aging. Biodynamic. | 92
VIENNA
It’s the field blends—Gemischter Satz—that steal the show for me. Vienna’s vineyards don’t lack sun; and in a warmer vintage, such as 2023, excess ripeness and alcohol can be an issue. Blends seem to be a smarter way to moderate this than varietal wines.
Christ Ried Falkenberg Weißer Burgunder 2023 (13% ABV)
A lovely open-textured expression of Pinot Blanc, with a refined, creamy palate. Crystalline and fresh, stays focused and refined all the way. Spontaneous fermentation in barrels, bottled unfiltered. | 92
Wieninger Ried Ulm Gemischter Satz 2023 (13.5% ABV)
Wiener Gemischter Satz DAC
From an exceptional plot in Nussberg. Rich and full-bodied, with creamy apple, peach, and pears baked in honey. Some baked fruits and salts. Such a satisfying, textural mouthful. Demonstrates how brilliantly Gemischter Satz can create complexity and depth that varietal wine just can’t. Long in the mouth, with a salty finish. Still young and simple, so age it for at least a couple of years. Biodynamic. | 93
THERMENREGION
Mostly 2023s on show here, though some growers have already released 2024s.
Stadlmann Ried Igeln Zierfandler 2024 (13.5% ABV)
Thermenregion DAC
Very focused, with ripe pear and yellow-plum fruit. Some cooked-fruit notes, mineral tension, and richness. Very refined and fresh yet with the ripe, ebullient nature of the variety. | 91
Reinisch Ried Kästenbaum Pinot Noir 2022 (13.5% ABV)
If any producer could convince me that Pinot Noir makes sense in Thermenregion, it would be the Reinisch family. Charming aromas on the nose: cherries, a sandalwood hint, and boiled sweets. Delicate, beautiful fruit and Burgundian elegance. Very fine and with potential to age. | 92
CARNUNTUM
Growers showed a mixture of 2022s and 2023s. The latter vintage has produced very dark-fruited, intense wines, whereas the 2022s feel more elegant, albeit also concentrated and ripe.
Johannes Trapl Ried Spitzerberg Blaufränkisch 2022 (13% ABV)
Carnuntum DAC
One of Johannes’s most elegant Spitzerbergs yet: delicately spiced on the nose, with raspberry compote and a blackcurrant hint on the palate. Seductive, creamy texture, with very delicate tannins. Herbal nuances on the finish, harmony and lightness. Some might look for more power in Spitzerberg, but here you get refinement and a wine that’s ready to drink now. Biodynamic. | 94
Dorli Muhr Ried Spitzerberg Blaufränkisch 2022 (13% ABV)
Carnuntum DAC
A haunting cassis perfume and black-cherry compote on the palate, with beautiful tension and refined tannins that gently support the fruit. Refined and expressive, showing the variety’s mouthwatering fruit character and the majesty of the site. The finish is long and elegant. Magical. | 96
BURGENLAND
Stylistically, the Leithaberg DAC lacks focus when it comes to the whites. But it’s a different matter when we talk about Blaufränkisch. Both 2022 and 2023 were warm but not heatwave years, producing elegant, high-level results.
Markus Altenburger Ried Jungenberg Chardonnay 2022 (13% ABV)
Leithaberg DAC
Bright acidity; fizzes with a salty, mineral energy. All about the freshness and the feeling of rocks and stones. There are notes of hay and chamomile, a bit of green apple, and an overriding feeling of excitement and life. | 94
Sommer Ried Halser Grüner Veltliner 2023 (13% ABV)
Leithaberg DAC
Candied peel, beautiful acids, tarragon-tinged fruit. Great focus and definition; light-bodied, elegant, yet satisfying. | 93
Tinhof Gloriette Ried Kirchberg Blaufränkisch 2022 (13.5% ABV)
Leithaberg DAC
Crushed black cherries and plums; elegance personified. Deftly oaked to gently support the fruit. Hints of bitter chocolate and herbs, but the star of the show is the juicy cherry fruit with that delicious mouthwatering quality. Already showing well, this has a great future. Wait five years if you can. | 94
Braunstein Ried Glawarinza Blaufränkisch 2020 (13% ABV)
Leithaberg DAC
Rounded, sweet cherry fruit, soft tannins, and a beautiful mineral tension on the finish. Harmonious and elegant, retaining great fruit focus. I’ve nothing but admiration for this example of a proper release schedule: the 2020 is absolutely ready to drink now. Biodynamic. | 95
Prieler Ried Goldberg Blaufränkisch 2022 (13.5% ABV)
Leithaberg DAC
Open texture, with broad tannins that leave plenty of space for the fruit to shine—spiced cherry pie, a hint of hay and dried herbs. Beautiful freshness and harmony. This will reward 5–10 years of aging. | 93
SÜDBURGENLAND
The iron-rich soils of Eisenberg foster some of the most distinctive Welschriesling in Austria, but initially the DAC allowed only Blaufränkisch. This has now been amended, but to my great disappointment none of the region’s best exponents—notably Thomas Straka and Christoph Wachter-Wiesler—opted to include their whites this year. The 2022 reds mostly show good freshness and balance. Cooler conditions during the harvest no doubt helped to mitigate a dry growing season.
Thom Wachter Ried Saybritz Blaufränkisch 2022 (13.5% ABV)
Eisenberg DAC
Velvety, cacao-tinged red fruits, showing Thom’s usual elegance and restraint. The nose is very pretty, with crushed red berries and a lick of orange zest. Everything here feels quite delicate and nuanced. | 94
Wachter-Wiesler Ried Weinberg Blaufränkisch 2022 (13% ABV)
Eisenberg DAC
Pure, velvety cherry fruit and gorgeously creamy tannins. Elegant and harmonious, with some savory and herbal notes that do not overawe the fruit. A return to form after a couple of disappointing vintages. | 94
STYRIA
The 12 members of the STK association continue to impress with their consistency and mutual progression to more precise, terroir-oriented winemaking. It’s difficult to generalize about vintages, since each estate sets its own release schedule. 2021 was the most outstanding overall, with 2023 the warmest of the three main vintages on show.
Sattlerhof Ried Trinkaus Sauvignon Blanc 2022 (13.5% ABV)
Südsteiermark DAC
Ripe and fleshy but retaining the estate’s typical lightness and lift. Beautiful lime and lemon tones, with a bit of guava or passion fruit. Superb fruit focus, bright and detailed. Needs a few years. Biodynamic. | 94
Tement Ried Zieregg Kår Sauvignon Blanc 2022 (13% ABV)
Südsteiermark DAC
Crushed herbs and rocks on the nose. Lovely limey palate that fizzes with energy and detail. Super-mineral; is this what ground-up rocks taste like? The nose is wonderfully aromatic. Not especially long but glorious all the same. Biodynamic. | 94
Gross Reid Perz Gelber Muskateller 2021 (12% ABV)
Südsteiermark DAC
A textbook example of this perfumed variety, lychee and elderflower on the nose. Tropical fruits—lychee and mango—on the palate, beautifully offset by racy acidity and the subtlest leesy texture. Very subtle oak adds just enough weight to support it all. | 95
Wolfgang Maitz Ried Schusterberg Morillon 2022 (13.5% ABV)
Südsteiermark DAC
Spicy and buttery, but with subtle and not obtrusive wood influence. Creamy ripe apple and pear fruit. A beautiful texture unfolds to a salty finish that adds excitement. | 93
Neumeister Ried Moarfeitl Sauvignon Blanc 2023 (13% ABV)
Vulkanland Steiermark DAC
From the volcanic soils of southeastern Styria. Vivid, tangy lemon peel, juicy fruit, and lovely weight. Focused, refreshing, and delicious. | 92
