Weißburgunder Harzenleiten 2016

The Harzenleiten vineyard is the name for the mountain slope of the Michaelerberg, the south-east slopes of which are used for viticulture. Significant loess deposits have accumulated in several areas, offering a good nutrient supply and lending the wines fullness and power. Weathered paragneiss provides complexity and structure, and on the more barren sites, Riesling demonstrates its quality with very delicate wines.

The wine year began mild and with much precipitation alternating between snow and rain, which favoured soil moisture. Budbreak in mid-April was followed by a very challenging period for the Wachau, as for the rest of Austria and many other European wine-growing countries. At the end of April, several nights of frost caused damage to the vines to an extent unseen by the active winemaker generation. In the Wachau, the Spitzer Graben was hit particularly hard, where losses of up to 90% were recorded. But Weißenkirchen and the villages of Arnsdorf also saw significant yield losses. Despite the early start, the vines only flowered late, towards the end of June. The summer got to a slow start with repeated rainfall, which called for intensive foliage work in the vineyard. The first stable period of fine weather arrived only in late August, enabling a good start for the harvest at the end of September. Starting in the second half of October, the weather caused several interruptions in the harvest, which was then prolonged into mid-November. Due to the frost-related losses in the west of the Wachau, the harvest finished around the same time in both parts of the region. The wines were more reticent than in the previous year, but the pleasant acidity along with the concentration on the palate indicate that they will mature well in the years to follow.

Our family business is located in the historical village St. Michael in the Region „Wachau“, a World Heritage. Although the total wine growing in this region is just over 1.300 ha, Wachau is one of the most famous white wine areas in the world. Our property was bought by Mr. Leopold Bruch, the grandfather of the actual owner Richard Bruch, so our family is operating in the 3rd generation now. We operate about 3,5 ha vineyards as well as 0,45 ha apricot. The old vines which are partly over 50 years old, growing on granite in the special microclimate of the river Danube valley Wachau are an excellent basis for high quality wines. Of course we treat our vineyards as close to nature as possible, for example we don´t use herbicides. A process, well ballanced between modern technology and classical methods is the basis for our very fruity wines with advanced