2021 Claus Preisinger Puszta Libre

WINEMAKER: Claus Preisinger
REGION: Burgenland, AT
VARIETAL: St. Laurent, Zweigelt, Pinot Noir
VITICULTURE: Certified Biodynamic

A blend of St. Laurent, Zweigelt and Pinot Noir with grapes sourced from vineyards in the Pannonia lowlands at the north end of Lake Neusiedl and between the Seewinkel, this wine is made in a light “Burgenland Beaujolais” style. The fruit is destemmed, a portion of the grapes is carbonically fermented, while the rest are pressed directly and then aged in 3000 litre foudres. The eponymously named Puszta, which translates to “plains” in Hungarian, harkens back to a time when the source vineyard sites were once part of Hungary. Libre, of course, is Spanish for “free.”

Claus Preisinger’s winery is nestled in the village of Gols by Lake Neusiedlersee in Burgenland. Claus first started making wine with this father as a hobby, but after working with Hans Nittnaus, a neighbouring winemaker for a few years, decided that wine was his true calling. In 2004 he was one of the founding members of the Pannobile group of winemakers, a group that uses respect for the land and terroir to preserve traditions in Burgenland. His first vintage was in 2000, and since then he has expanded his father’s 3 hectares to the 17 hectares of vines he cultivates today. His vineyard work is meticulous and he is deeply in touch with his land. He uses a mixture of techniques including homeopathic teas, compost from cattle and horses and works strictly from Steiner philosophies. His vines are spread across 58 parcels and are largely planted to indigenous varieties such as Zweigelt, Blaufränkisch and St. Laurent.