Wine - Imported - 2017 - Markus Alatenberger

Markus Altenburger wants nothing more than to stoke the little flame of fascination with blaufränkisch and neuburger — yes, neuburger — in the Leithaberg. His vineyards perch at Austria’s far eastern edge, half an hour from Vienna, but seemingly in another cosmos altogether. Vast, shallow Lake Neusiedl and the low-slung Leitha mountain range wrangle for climatic influence. The wines express this tension, the influences of limestone and schist soils, and something of the wild abundance of nature, as well. Since he took over his family’s estate more than a decade ago, he’s moved from what he calls “well-behaved wines” to those that are much closer to nature and bear a far more personal stamp. Working from 30 small plots (certified organic and in conversion to Demeter biodynamics) scattered around the historic wine village of Jois, he is focused above all on blaufränkisch, neuburger, as well as old-vine grüner veltliner and chardonnay, and a few styles of distinctly Austrian rosé. He thrives on tapping into what he calls “the yin and the yang of Jois” — 800 years of viticultural history counterposed with fairly avant-garde cellar work.

The Altenburger family has farmed land in and around Jois since the 16th century. Like most farmers in the area, they cultivated livestock, crops, and vineyards. “After World War II, my grandparents were able to increase their wine business to be the most important income of their mixed agriculture,” Markus explains. “In 1999, when my parents, Matthias and Walpurga, were running the winery, they decided to rent out the rest of the farm and keep only the vineyards. They made easy-going wines to sell to tourists.” When Markus joined them in 2006, the family had 6.5 hectares and the proportion of red to white grapes was 30 to 70.” Six years later, Markus took full control of the estate. Since then, he has doubled the holdings, flipped that ratio, and converted the estate to organics, and is now pursuing Demeter biodynamic certification. He farms with an eye to soil vitality and rampant biodiversity. In the cellar, he favors native yeasts, minimal added sulphur, long, protective lees contact, and concrete and neutral wood for aging.