TINHOF LEITHABERG ORGANIC. INFO Dossier

Transcription

1 TINHOF LEITHABERG ORGANIC INFO Dossier

2 HISTORY The Tinhof family cultivates wine on the Leithaberg near Eisenstadt in the 12th generation. Erwin Tinhof began with 1ha (2.5 acres) of vines inherited from his father in 1983 and 3.5 ha (10 acres) leased from his uncle. Erwin studied agriculture at the University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences in Vienna and University of Montpellier in France. He wrote his dissertation about Welschriesling in Burgenland. As a good friend of Dr. Josef Schuller MW, Erwin was one of the first associates and lecturers at the Weinakademie Österreich. A traineeship at Mas de Daumas Gassac in Southern France was seminal in the development of his won personal philosophy. Mas de Daumas concentrates her portfolio on regional grapes and excludes international varieties. I adopted the point of view that the most authentic expression of terroir is to be found in traditional regional varieties and became infused with the will to present this internationally! In 2010 his nephew Lukas Plöckinger joined the winery with his own ideas. Lukas currently studies agriculture at the University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences in Vienna, like his uncle before him. He gained experience at the internationally renowned Kollwentz winery in Grosshöflein. Both Erwin and Lukas benefit from the continual exchange of ideas and thus develop their wines. All decisions are made together; therefore they are jointly liable for all statements and quotations. Tinhof that is all of us! We are not a family winery, together we are Tinhof! Our family has cultivated wine on the slopes of the Leitha Mountains for 11 generations. This is a blessing, not my merit. It also carries responsibility to the past and the future. Erwin is not the decisive factor for Tinhof, but all people who have lived and worked here. There is a greater vision that is independent of the current generation. The coat of arms of the Tinhof family shows a (probably) Bavarian lion defending the Christian West (symbolised by the moon) against the Orient (symbolised by the sun).

3 Erwin Born 1962, married with Karin, 2 children Lukas Plöckinger Born 1989, unmarried Erwin s nephew was already more enthusiastic about vineyards than school as little boy. This was to become his career plan... Michaela Heissenberger Since 2001 she manages the office and supports the two gentlemen in all matters. Geza (since 1990) and Gyözo Szalai (since 2005) The 2 brothers assist in the vineyards and cellar throughout the year. Furthermore, there are eight helpers for canopy management and picking grapes that return regularly and thus know every single vine. PHILOSOPHY Erwin Tinhof began using Burgundy bottles for his wines at the beginning of his career as vintner in 1990, because the diversity of vineyards and concentration on the essential in Burgundy are a model form for me. I always wanted to work with autochthon grape varieties, because no one in France cultivates Neuburger. Reduction and focus on regionality and expression of unique terroir: these are ideas that Erwin Tinhof gained during his training at the Mas de Daumas Gassac estate. He decided to do this in Austria, although winegrowing in Austria at that time was largely orientated towards international mainstream in the early 1990s. He strove against the trend and focused on vineyard sites and origin. His first goal is to express the different soils which make up the typicity of our region in our wines. That s why we bottle five different Blaufränkisch. We introduce our style and our homeland to consumers with our entry-level wines Tinhof blanc and Tinhof noir. We have Neuburger and Weissburgunder (Pinot blanc) from different soils and in different complexities. St. Laurent is a personal hobbyhorse for Erwin, while Lukas adores Neuburger and wants to make it palatable to the people, because it is such an aristocratic variety and I want Tinhof to become a benchmark for Neuburger. Whenever there is talk about this autochthon variety, the name Tinhof should be mentioned! Tinhof shows a broad spectrum variety of wines and styles with only a few grape varieties due to the diversity of soils.

4 Tinhof = organic It was a simple matter of course for Erwin Tinhof to work organically. I was inspired by André Ostertag, Marc Kreydenweiss and also Anne-Claude Leflaive, because on the chalky soils of Burgundy, the conditions are comparable to ours. I am too much of a natural scientist to let myself get carried away emotionally, but I have do have immense respect for nature. Things must be allowed to grow and arise on their own. We cultivate vineyards that have been known for more than 500 years. We are working for the long-term welfare of our environment; we don t consider the short-term much and our wines also stand for longevity. We work with time! Intense devotion to the vineyards develops knowledge, understanding and finally trust that our vines won t let us down! Tinhof has worked according to the principles of organic winegrowing for a long time, but it was not until 2009 that certification became meaningful and reasonable due to the fact that they could finally work on larger contiguous vineyard plots. Erwin says, I think the notion of organic farming is often misused. I will not work with horses in the vineyard. I feel deep respect for those who do, but I cannot fill this concept with life. We cannot give up copper and sulphur, because the winery has to survive economically. Despite this, there is still a huge difference to conventional winegrowing. It is the same with people when they get ill: you can either increase your resilience through nutrition and lifestyle or simply take antibiotics and medications that only have a short-term effect? There were many small steps that led us to organic winegrowing and our customers and our employees have fully supported this evolvement. Our vineyard staff knows every single vine, all microclimates and plot conditions. Thus they form a harmonious union. Lukas adds that even in difficult years like 2010 and 2014 the vitality of the vines was obviously better and more stable than in conventionally farmed vineyards. There is an effect. And that s why difficult conditions do not cause that much stress for us because now we know what our vineyards are capable of. We gained more trust in them. Since 2012 the Tinhof winery is organic certified. Erwin Tinhof Lukas Plöckinger

5 THE REGION Leithaberg wines from the primordial ocean During the 11 th century Cistercian monks brought the grape varieties Pinot noir and the so-called Grey monk (i.e. Pinot Gris) to the area between the Leitha Mountains and Lake Neusiedl. Even before the devastating Ottoman wars, Franconian colonists settled here to develop the region. After that, numerous aristocrats and Catholic orders owned vineyards on the slopes of the Leitha Mountains. Because Burgenland belonged to Hungary until 1921, its wines were mainly sold there, but also in the city of Vienna. The political affinity to Hungary explains the proliferations of Blaufränkisch, which is in fact a Hungarian variety (Kékfrankos). Erwin Tinhof suspects that Kékfrankos was widely planted here on the border to Austria to show the Austrians how to make good red wine. The Tinhof family is deeply rooted in the Leitha Mountains: Lukas Plöckinger is the 12 th generation of the family to work these vineyards. He says, The soil-structure dictates our possibilities. The 17 million-year-old geology can be experienced and be tasted! It invokes delicate, elegantly structured and expressive wines with distinctive character. Our vineyards are located at 150 to 400 meters above sea level, but all have different microclimates: some are near the forest, others lay open. Numerous small plots on the Leitha Mountains allow great diversity. Erwin Tinhof was a founding member of the Leithaberg association in 2002, which promoted the creation of the protected designation of origin Leithaberg DAC. Soils The 484 m high Leitha Mountains (Leithagebirge in German) stretch 35 km (21 mi) along the western shore of Lake Neusiedl. The soil is comprised of a core of crystalline gneiss and micaschist overlaid by calcareous sediments left by a primordial ocean. This mix of weathered primary rock with mica-schist and marine limestone (Leithakalk) lends the wines from the Leitha Mountains their unique character. Crystalline soils warm quickly and because they are so meagre, they force vines to drive their roots deep in search of nourishment. Calcareous soils lend wines a distinctive, elegant and compact acid structure and spice. They are well suited to varieties like Pinot noir, Sankt Laurent, Weissburgunder (Pinot blanc), Chardonnay and Neuburger. Numerous fossilised shells and conches are visible and are evidence of the genesis of the Leitha Mountain geology.

6 Climate The conspicuous ridge of the Leitha Mountains is a climatic divide between the Alpine and the Pannonian climate. On its east side, sheltered from cool winds from the north and the west, the growing season is significantly longer than in the surrounding areas. Spring and autumn seasons are mild. The water mass of the shallow Lake Neusiedl accumulates heat during summer and radiates warmth in the autumn. The lake thus moderates the climate and allows production of delicate, tightly meshed, medium bodied wines. The protective forests of the Leitha Mountains provide small-scale differences. Winters are rather cold with little snow. Rainfall averages 500mm/m 2 per year. Tinhof = Leitha Mountains What is the challenge to get the maximum typicity out of every grape variety on the Leitha Mountains? We plant autochthon varieties on unique soils and make inimitable wines out of them. This mineral style is absolutely unique with these grape varieties. We use old and proven clones grafted from our own vineyards. We have special rootstocks that can tolerate and exploit the high active lime content. Through high density plantings we get the special Leithakalk (Leithalimestone) minerality. Grape varieties are exchangeable; they can be planted anywhere. Our wines have a very specific origin influenced by an inimitable combination of soil, climate, and people and their ideas. We love what we do and have a good understanding of it. Accumulated knowledge of our vineyards has been passed down for generations. We take responsibility for our actions and for the environment. We are ambassadors of the Leitha Mountains and Leithaberg. VINEYARDS A specialty at the Tinhof winery is the prevalence of old vines up to 60 years in age. Since 2003 vineyards are replanted with a planting density of 7,000 vines per hectare. This regulates yields and stress: one vine yields 1 kg of grapes, which means one bottle of wine. Vines remain fit and healthy. Green cover between the vine rows provides additional competition that forces vines to grow roots faster and thrust them deeper into the ground. They are thus able to absorb more nutrients, which gives the wines more profundity and complexity. Site selection is also decisive; each vineyard is only suited for certain varieties and rootstocks. Respecting this fact causes less trouble afterwards, but requires long term planning. The soils determine the style: elegant, delicately structured, expressive wines. Organic winegrowing makes it possible to work out the small-scale details: calcareous soils combine with mica-schist and together with the influence of the forest, wind, shade and sun exposure to provide huge diversity.

7 Sites Feiersteig (also called Feuersteig) First mentioned in a document in Meagre dry and limey brown cambisol soil and sandy limey gravel. Fossilised shells can be found here. Cultivated varieties: Sankt Laurent, Weissburgunder (Pinot Blanc), Neuburger Golden Erd Golden Erd ( golden earth ) is a part of the Feiersteig and was mentioned in 1579 as the best site of Eisenstadt. Medium to heavy limey brown cambisol and sandy limey gravel with a thin layer of humus on top. Cultivated varieties: Weissburgunder (Pinot Blanc) Steinriegel This Eisenstadt site has gravel over loamy subsoil and is known since Cultivated varieties: Blaufränkisch, Sankt Laurent, Zweigelt Feldmühle (also called Fehmühl) The Feldmühle site is situated in Kleinhöflein near Eisenstadt; it has deep limey chernozem soil and is documented since Cultivated varieties: Blaufränkisch Kirchberg (Gloriette) This Eisenstadt site is documented since 1570 and has meagre sandy and limey brown cambisol soil. Cultivated varieties: Blaufränkisch Steinriegel Fehmühl Feiersteig

8 GRAPE VARIETIES Neuburger Probably a natural crossing of Roter Veltliner x Sylvaner. With only 650 hectares vineyard area it is a rarity. Ripening early until medium late, sensitive to frost, needs dry and meagre locations. As it is susceptible to botrytis it is often used for the production of sweet wines. For Erwin Tinhof the ideal Neuburger has to be tangy and well structured with a harmonious, long aftertaste and bibulous. Weissburgunder (Pinot Blanc) A mutation of Pinot Gris; high demands on soil and location; yields age worthy wines which are delicate, elegant, mineral-driven and fruitier than Neuburger. Zweigelt This robust new crossing of Sankt Laurent x Blaufränkisch is Austria s most widely planted red wine variety with nearly 6,500 hectares. It is not demanding to location but requires intensive canopy management and yield regulation. The wines show full cherry fruit and soft tannins. Sankt Laurent A distant relative of Pinot noir and an Austrian specialty. Difficult in the vineyard, needs good locations, is sensible to bad weather during flowering season and late frost and gives low and irregular yields. The wines are dark coloured, full-bodied with sour cherry fruit, elegant and long lived. According to Erwin Tinhof they also show spicy scent with lots of finesse on the palate and ripe structure. Blaufränkisch An old variety from Hungary (Kékfrankos) that has been cultivated in Austria since the 18 th century. High demands on the location, it gives wines with profound wild berry and cherry fruit, robust acid structure and distinctive tannins. They need some bottle maturation to develop all their facets. To Erwin Tinhof Blaufränkisch is the great red wine of the Burgenland: depending on the site, it develops multi-layered aromas. CELLAR The cellar is obviously the least spectacular part of the winery. The white wines are matured in stainless steel tanks and big oak casks, the red wines in big oak casks and small wooden barrels. There is nearly no intervention in the genesis of the wines to preserve the pure expression of soils and vines. All grapes are picked by hand. White grapes are pressed immediately or after some hours of maceration, fermented in stainless steel with temperature control and matured in big oak casks or stainless steel tanks depending on vintage, variety and quality. Particularly ripe grapes are partly fermented in wooden barrels. The black grapes are fermented on the mash up to four weeks. Red wines are matured in big oak casks; the best wines of each vintage are aged in small Burgundy barrels for up to 24 months.

9 WINES AND THEIR STYLES It is important to Erwin Tinhof and Lukas Plöckinger to express the diversity of soils found in the rather small area around Eisenstadt in their wines. The combination of grape variety and soil with organic winegrowing allows them to make wines with genuine character of their origin. They don t look at the markets to see what is hip, but at the opportunities their vineyards offer. Therefore they only work with varieties that do well on the Leithaberg and reflect their origin. They see it as their responsibility, but also as their freedom to work authentically. Our wines transport how the respective grape variety tastes in this area, says Lukas. They reflect their vintage. They need time, which is not unusual for wines from limey soil, and they are edgy. We are aware of that. But in the end they show more facets, offer more adventure and more elegance. Our wines are for open-minded and curious connoisseurs. For Tinhof the key factors for expressing terroir in wine are: - Organic winegrowing - Biodiversity - Precision through profound vineyards that have been known since the 15th century and in which the Tinhof family has gained experience for several generations. - South exposition with sunlight all day long and cool night temperatures brought by the evening fall winds from the Leitha Mountains - Fermentation with wild yeasts, that have always been present Estate Wines Wines made from grapes from the region Tinhof Blanc A blend of Grüner Veltliner, Neuburger and Pinot Blanc from vineyards around Eisenstadt with lime-deficient deep cambisol soils. The vines are up to 35 years old; the must is fermented at cool temperatures. The wine is fresh, fruit-driven, elegant and straightforward. Goes well with light summer dishes with vegetables and fish. Tinhof Rosé Made from Blaufränkisch grapes from vineyards around Eisenstadt with limey cambisol and gravelly soils. The cool fermented free-running grape juice shows aroma of citrus and blossoms, is fresh and inciting. Goes well with light dishes with vegetables, fish and herbs. Tinhof Noir This blend of mainly Zweigelt, a dash of Blaufränkisch and Sankt Laurent comes from sites in Eisenstadt with limey, sandy and gravelly cambisol. The wine is fermented spontaneously in open vats and aged for 16 months in big oak casks. It goes well with spicy dishes as well as pasta, pizza and grilled meat.

10 Leithakalk Wines These wines are derived from sites in Eisenstadt, aged in stainless steel tanks and oak casks and show the typicity of the chalky soils. Neuburger This is an indigenous specialty that origins from Austria. Neuburger grows in vineyards in Eisenstadt on deep limey and humus-rich cambisol soil. The vines are approximately 25 years old. The must is fermented at cool temperatures after a short maceration. The wine s scent is reminiscent of citrus and field flowers, shows pleasant smooth texture and delicate extract. It is an ideal companion to Wiener Schnitzel, but also pairs with other Austrian classics like strudel, dumplings, or roast goose. Weissburgunder (Pinot Blanc) The approximately 40-year-old vines grow in sites in Eisenstadt and Kleinhöflein. The soils are sandy and chalky gravel and medium to heavy limey cambisol. After a short maceration period the destemmed berries ferment spontaneously in stainless steel tanks and mature for 11 months in used big oak casks. The wine is fresh with good substance and aromas of summer meadows, blossoms, apples, and pineapples. Creamy texture, animating elegant spice and acerbity. A perfect wine to accompany poultry with spicy sauces. Blaufränkisch This one grows on sandy gravelly soils poor in humus but rich in chalk. The vines are around 30 years old. The grapes are destemmed and fermented spontaneously with natural yeasts in open vats. The wine is aged for up to 24 months in big (2000 litre) oak casks. It shows ripe fruits and good substance, taut tannins and lots of facets. It goes well with pasta, pizza, meat and game and also with hard cheese. Leithaberg DAC Wines The wines from the protected geographical indication Leithaberg come from vines years old and are allowed to mature in big oak casks for a longer time. Leithaberg DAC Weissburgunder Grown on limey, sandy and rocky cambisol soils. After a short maceration period the wine is fermented spontaneously with wild yeasts and aged for 11 months in big oak casks. It shows nuances of ripe yellow apple, meadow herbs, a creamy texture with delicate spice and goes well with fish, white meat with vegetables, and ripe hard cheese. Leithaberg DAC Neuburger Grapes sourced from 15 to 35-year-old vines on the Leithaberg Mountains. Spontaneous fermentation and ageing in big oak casks (2,000 l). To provide the wine with more tension and grapiness, a small amount of absolutely healthy, unmacerated grapes is fermented with the must. Ageing on the lees without SO 2 until bottling one year after the harvest.

11 Leithaberg DAC red (Blaufränkisch) Blaufränkisch on limey brown earth and lime soils reflects the typical character of a Leithaberg-wine. The grapes are fermented spontaneously in open vats and aged for up to 24 months in big oak casks. It has floral and herbal black berry fruit with hints of oranges, taut tannins and good ageing potential. It goes well with pasta, pizza, steaks, and game. Single Vineyard Wines from the Leitha Mountains Golden Erd Weissburgunder From the heart of the Feiersteig site, documented since 1579 as best vineyard in Eisenstadt. Medium to heavy chalky cambisol over sandy-chalky gravel. Vines 23 to 40 years old; the grapes are destemmed, gently crushed, macerated for a short period on the skins before the must is clarified. Then it ferments spontaneously with wild yeasts in used oak barrels. Then it is aged for ten months in big oak casks. It shows aromas of pears, herbs and the distinctive Leitha Mountain minerality. Delicate touch of wood, velvety structure and delicate spice. Goes well with white meat and fish and also with hard cheese. Golden Erd Neuburger From the heart of the Feiersteig site, documented since 1579 as best vineyard in Eisenstadt. Medium to heavy chalky cambisol over sandy-chalky gravel. Vines 35 to 45- year-old vines. Spontaneous fermentation and ageing in big oak casks (2,000 l). To provide the wine with more tension and grapiness, a small amount of absolutely healthy, unmacerated grapes is fermented with the must. Aged on the lees without SO 2 in small wooden barrels ( l). Bottled one year after the harvest, released after months further maturation in the bottle. Feuersteig Sankt Laurent The Feuersteig (or Feiersteig) site is the oldest in Eisenstadt (first mentioned 1455) and planted with 25-year-old Sankt Laurent vines. Yields are quite small, but aroma and flavour concentration are superb. They were destemmed, fermented spontaneously with wild yeasts in open vats and aged for 21 months in small French barrels. The wine shows herbal spice, dark berry fruit and hints of dark chocolate with sweet extract. Tannins and minerality give backbone and balance. Goes well with game and matured cheese. Gloriette Blaufränkisch The Blaufränkisch Gloriette grows in site documented since 1570 on meagre sandy and limey cambisol soil. The vines are the oldest in the Tinhof winery with more than 50 years of age. The grapes are destemmed, fermented spontaneously in open vats and aged for 21 months in small oak barrels. Blackberries with cassis and ripe cherries; taut velvety tannins and vibrant mineral structure. The Blaufränkisch Gloriette is particularly age worthy and elegant. It is a perfect companion to red meat or game. Depending on the year, Tinhof also produces sweet wine specialties like Beerenauslese or Trockenbeerenauslese and a sherry-like aged wine that is called Aperitif.

12 ACCOLADES AND AWARDS 2016 Tinhof Blanc: 89 points Wine Enthusiast 2016 Neuburger: 91 points Falstaff Burgunder Trophy; 90 points A La Carte 2016 Weißburgunder: 90 points A La Carte 2015 Leithaberg DAC Neuburger: winner Falstaff Burgunder Trophy with 92 points, 92 points A La Carte, 18,5 points Gault Millau 2016 Leithaberg DAC Neuburger: 92 points Wine Enthusiast 2015 Leithaberg DAC Weißburgunder: 92 points Falstaff, 92 points A La Carte 2016 Leithaberg DAC Weißburgunder: 93 points Wine Enthusiast 2015 Golden Erd Neuburger: 93 points Falstaff, 93 points A La Carte 2015 Golden Erd Weißburgunder: 17 points Gault Millau 2015 Blaufränkisch: 91 points Wine Enthusiast 2015 Sankt Laurent: 90 points Wine Enthusiast 2015 Leithaberg DAC Blaufränkisch: 93 points A La Carte, 93 points Wine Enthusiast 2013 Feuersteig Sankt Laurent: 91 points Falstaff 2015 Feuersteig Sankt Laurent: 94 points A La Carte 2015 Gloriette Blaufränkisch: 95 points Wine Enthusiast, 94 points A La Carte, 93 points Falstaff 2015 Beerenauslese Weißburgunder: 93 points Falstaff, 93 points A La Carte Aperitiv: 90 points wein-plus.de More press commentaries:

13 WEINGUT TINHOF FACTS & FIGURES Vineyard area processed: 15 hectares (37 acres) Wines: 50% white (Weissburgunder, Neuburger, Welschriesling, Grüner Veltliner) 50% red (Blaufränkisch, Zweigelt, Sankt Laurent) Organic certified since 2012 by Lacon AT-BIO-402 CONTACT Weingut Erwin Tinhof Cellar and Salesroom: Eisenstädter Straße Trausdorf Tel.: +43 (0) Fax: +43 (0) Invoice address: Gartengasse Eisenstadt