Hirtzberger

Weingut Hirtzberger is located in the westernmost part of the Austrian Wachau region in the tiny village of Spitz. Spitz is located in between the mountains and the Danube river. The climate here is influenced by the cool air from the north, but the Danube stores heat and emits it during the day.

The winery is run by Franz Hirtzberger and his wife Irmgard. The vineyard and the vinification room are managed by Franz and Irmgard takes care of the sales.

History

The Hirtzberger home is a Lesehof, a historic winegrower's house, that dates back to the 13th century, making it one of the oldest operational wineries in the Wachau. The family bought its first vineyards in Spitz in the late 19th century and farmed on a modest scale for decades. The real turning point came in 1983, when Franz Hirtzberger took over from his father and began expanding the domaine and started to really focus on top single-vineyard sites. He co-founded Vinea Wachau Nobilis Districtus, the association that introduced the now-classic quality tiers Steinfeder, Federspiel and Smaragd. He served as its president for 24 years and was awarded the Vineus lifetime achievement prize in 2016.

The Vineyards

The estate covers around 20 hectares, all planted with white varieties. Almost every bottle comes from steep terraced sites around Spitz, several of which are considered of the highest quality for the whole region. The most famous is Singerriedel, which rises straight up behind the family house and delivers the estate's flagship Riesling. Honivogl, located at the foot of the Singerriedel slope, is the top site for Grüner Veltliner. Other key vineyards include Hochrain and Setzberg for Riesling, Axpoint and Rotes Tor for Grüner Veltliner, Pluris for Pinot Gris, and Steinporz for Pinot Blanc.

The vineyard is intensively maintained to achieve the highest possible quality. The vines are carefully pruned and tied up properly. Accurately directing the vines contributes to an even ripening. The harvest consists of several rounds through the vineyard and is always done by hand. Each plot has its own characteristics that contribute to the unique character of the wine.

Terroir

Spitz sits in a narrow stretch of the Danube valley, boxed in between the river and the surrounding hills. The climate is a balance of cool northern air flowing down into the valley and warmth stored and released by the Danube during the day. This combination stretches the ripening season, which gives the wines both concentration and freshness.

The soils are dominated by primary rock, mostly gneiss, mica schist and other weathered crystalline stone, often with a thin layer of sandy loam or loess on top. On sites like Honivogl and parts of Axpoint, deeper clay and loess play a bigger role, which suits Grüner Veltliner well. The family has rebuilt stone terraces on Singerriedel over decades to keep the site workable.

Grapes

Riesling and Grüner Veltliner together account for roughly 80 percent of production, split more or less evenly. The rest is made up of Pinot Blanc (Weissburgunder), Pinot Gris (Grauburgunder), Chardonnay, Neuburger and Muscat. Almost all wines are white, following the Wachau tradition.

Winemaking

From the very first production, expression of terroir plays an important role during vinification. Everything is aimed at expressing the pure aromas of the grape itself. This is done by combining the old traditions with modern techniques of our time. In the cellar, the approach is hands-off: spontaneous fermentation with natural yeasts, fermentation in stainless steel, and aging in large oak for Grüner Veltliner and acacia for Riesling. The wines are therefor a good reflection of their origin. In addition, the wines have the potential to be kept for a long time.

The Wines

The wines are gastronomically versatile. That is why the wines are very popular among sommeliers, but they are also very popular internationally.

At the top sit the Smaragd bottlings from single vineyards: Singerriedel and Hochrain for Riesling, Honivogl for Grüner Veltliner. These are dense, long-lived, mineral-driven whites that regularly appear among the best dry wines in Austria. Alongside them, the Federspiel wines offer a lighter, more immediate style, and the range is rounded out by smaller lots of Pinot Blanc, Pinot Gris, Chardonnay and Muscat.

Weingut Hirtzberger belongs to the top of the world!