Claus Preisinger 'Kieselstein' Zweigelt

Claus Preisinger 'Kieselstein' Zweigelt

Grapes — 100% Zweigelt

Region — Neusiedlersee DAC, Gols, Burgenland, Austria

Tasting Notes — Bright, luminous ruby with a lively energy that pulls you in immediately. Blackcurrant, red cherry, ripe plum, and violet on the nose, with black pepper, earl grey tea, and a whisper of baked apple underneath. The palate is juicy and round — full of fruit, soft tannins, bright acidity, and an herb-tinged freshness that keeps it light on its feet. Pleasure and joyful drinking, exactly as its maker intended. Serve it slightly chilled and watch it disappear.

The Wine — 100% Zweigelt from Claus Preisinger's biodynamically farmed vineyards on the Parndorfer Platte — a flat glacial plain formed by ancient Danube river deposits, characterized by the pebbly gravel soils that give the wine its name. Kieselstein: pebblestone. The terroir is as direct a reference as you can put on a label. Hand picked with double selection — first in the vineyard, then on a sorting table at the winery — before natural fermentation in stainless steel and 10 months aging on the lees in small barrels. 12% alcohol, balanced and precise.

Farming — Respekt Biodyn certified biodynamic — a rigorous certification held by a small group of Austrian producers committed to the highest standards of biodynamic farming. Claus has worked with ambient yeasts since his very first vintage in 2002 and has been certified biodynamic since 2009. His 22 hectares are divided across 64 individual parcels in the villages of Gols, Weiden, and Mönchhof, all farmed in harmony with the lunar calendar and biodynamic preparations made on the estate.

Winemaking — Indigenous yeast fermentation only — no cultivated strains, ever. No fining, no filtration. Very slight or zero sulfur added depending on vintage. Where Claus does use sulfur, it is in the smallest possible amount. His philosophy, in his own words, is simple and total: "My wines are a reflection of nature. I do not intervene artificially, either in the vineyard or in the cellar. Not even if it would improve the result — I prefer to be content with what nature offers us rather than meddling and manipulating it." The Kieselstein is where that philosophy meets its most accessible, joyful expression.

The Producer — Claus Preisinger was born in 1980 in Eisenstadt and began making wine with his father as a childhood hobby on their 3 hectares near Lake Neusiedl. After training at the Klosterneuburg Wine Institute and working in California and with natural wine pioneers Hans and Anita Nittnaus, he launched his own label in 2000. Today he farms 22 hectares across 64 parcels, operates one of the most architecturally striking natural wineries in Burgenland, and is widely recognized as one of the most important figures in Austrian natural wine. A member of Pannobile — the association of nine Gols winemaking families committed to terroir-driven production using indigenous varieties — and one of the first Austrian winemakers to experiment with Georgian amphora for skin-contact white wines, Claus is a producer who is simultaneously deeply rooted in place and restlessly curious. The white labels — his signature on a white background — represent his philosophy: purity, individuality, and the confidence to let the wine speak for itself.

Drink It With — Cold cuts and charcuterie, grilled sausages, mushroom dishes, duck breast, aged mountain cheese, or slightly chilled at any occasion that deserves something joyful and completely alive.