Summary
Claus Preisinger in Gols is one of the internationally best-known natural-wine addresses in Burgenland. Across around 19 hectares, split into some 64 small parcels, the estate has been making wines since 2000 that consciously push against the mainstream: spontaneously fermented, biodynamically grown and made with as little intervention in the cellar as possible. At the heart are the native red grapes Blaufränkisch, Zweigelt and St. Laurent, rounded out by Grüner Veltliner and Pinot Blanc. Preisinger became famous for his clear, thirst-quenching wines, for ageing in amphorae and large wooden casks – and for a striking cellar building from 2009 that nestles into the vineyards.
History
Claus Preisinger started out around the year 2000 with roughly three hectares of vines taken over from his father. From early on he was drawn to a more natural approach to wine, guided towards biodynamics and the natural-wine idea by his neighbour, the grower Hans Nittnaus. From around 2001 he switched in the cellar to spontaneous fermentation with the vineyard's own yeasts.
Key milestones came in quick succession: in 2004 Preisinger was admitted to the respected Gols growers' association Pannobile, and in 2006 he converted the estate consistently to biodynamic farming. In 2009 a modern cellar building was completed, set low into the landscape, which quickly became an architectural landmark. Over the years the estate grew to around 19 hectares – and Preisinger became one of the international figureheads of Austria's natural-wine scene.
Location & Terroir
The estate is based in Gols, Austria's largest wine-growing village, on the flat north-eastern shore of Lake Neusiedl. The large steppe lake acts as a climate regulator: it stores warmth, softens temperature swings and, in autumn, provides the humidity that can encourage sweet wines. The Pannonian climate is warm and dry – ideal for fully ripe, spicy reds.
Preisinger's parcels are small and vary greatly in soil. Around Gols, sandy loam, gravel and limestone dominate, while on the nearby Leithaberg slate and limestone yield cooler, tauter Blaufränkisch. This diversity lets the estate draw a distinct character from each site – from juicy everyday wine to profound single-vineyard bottlings.
Style & Philosophy
At the centre is the idea of „making" the wine as little as possible. The grapes come from biodynamic farming, the musts ferment spontaneously with natural yeasts, there is barely any fining or filtration, and sulphur is kept to a minimum. The wines are aged in large wooden casks (foudres) and increasingly in amphorae – Preisinger is among the pioneers of this style in Austria.
The result is wines of striking clarity and drinkability: from light, cool reds through skin-fermented, orange whites to serious, age-worthy Blaufränkisch. Sparkling Pét-Nats are part of the repertoire too. Preisinger's signature is unmistakably effortless – and has done much to make natural wine from Burgenland internationally respected today.
Notable Vineyards & Wines
The range runs from an uncomplicated entry point to concentrated single-vineyard wine. Among the best-known wines and sites are:
- “Puszta Libre!” – light, juicy red from Zweigelt and St. Laurent, a cult wine for easygoing enjoyment
- “Kalkundkiesel” – a line in red and white, named after the soils (limestone and gravel)
- “Kalkstein” – Blaufränkisch from limestone-influenced soils
- Sites such as Bühl (a steep, early-ripening south-west slope on the eastern shore) and Goldberg around Gols
- Edelgraben on the Leithaberg – source of one of his rare, profound Blaufränkisch
Alongside these come skin-fermented whites, Grüner Veltliner and a steady stream of experimental small lots.
Awards
Claus Preisinger is regularly cited in the international wine and natural-wine press as one of the most important figures in his field, and is seen as an ambassador of the modern, natural Burgenland. His wines feature in leading restaurants and on natural-wine lists around the globe. Notable, too, is his impact beyond the wine itself: the 2009 cellar building has been widely discussed as an example of restrained, landscape-embedded wine architecture and has helped shape the image of the modern Austrian winery.