Summary
Weingut Gerhard Markowitsch in Göttlesbrunn is the best-known estate in Carnuntum and one of the names behind the rise of Austrian red wine since the 1990s. Around 65 hectares – farmed organically – are dominated by red varieties, above all Zweigelt, joined by Blaufränkisch, Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon and Pinot Noir, plus a small but serious white wine range with Chardonnay and Grüner Veltliner. What defines the house is its attitude: powerful, wood-aged blends that always retain a high share of Zweigelt despite the international varieties – because the wine is meant to taste of Carnuntum, not of Bordeaux.
History
Winegrowing is nothing new in Göttlesbrunn: the Markowitsch family has farmed vines here for more than 200 years. For a long time what is now one of the country's flagships was a solid mixed farm whose wines barely travelled beyond the region.
The turning point was Gerhard Markowitsch, who took over his parents' estate around 1990. He committed to red wine at a time when Austria was still known internationally almost only for white, cut yields, invested in barriques and started to vinify the village's sites separately. Success came quickly: in 1999 the magazine Falstaff named him winemaker of the year – a signal for the young Carnuntum region that reached far beyond one estate.
Over the following decades the estate grew considerably, converted to organic farming and extended its holdings beyond Göttlesbrunn into Höflein and Prellenkirchen. With his daughter Johanna Markowitsch, who makes her own wines, the next generation is now on board.
Location & Terroir
Carnuntum lies east of Vienna, named after the ancient Roman city, between the Danube to the north, the Leithagebirge hills to the west and the Hungarian border to the east. Göttlesbrunn is the heart of this area and counts as its finest red wine village.
The climate is Pannonian: hot, dry summers, plenty of sun and a long growing season deliver fully ripe grapes. At the same time the proximity of the Danube and the wind blowing through the gap between the Leithagebirge and the Hainburg hills cool the nights down – which preserves acidity and freshness and keeps the reds from turning heavy.
The soils are varied: loess and loam over gravel and sand, with limestone and slate components in individual sites. Precisely these differences form the basis for the single-site wines of the estate, which farms six named vineyards.
Style & Philosophy
Markowitsch stands for a red wine style that combines power with drinkability. The grapes are picked late, fermentation is carefully controlled and the wines mature in large wooden casks or in barrique depending on ambition – for many months in the case of the top wines. Over the years this has produced a signature of dark fruit, fine tannin and spice, with the oak kept subordinate to the fruit.
The decisive point is the choice of varieties. Even where international grapes such as Merlot or Cabernet Sauvignon play a part, the blends retain a high share of Zweigelt. The winemaker has often put it like this: they do not want to copy anything, they are neither Bordeaux nor Burgundy nor Tuscany, and have to work out a style of their own. The switch to organic farming and cellar work with as little intervention as possible follow the same logic.
The white wines carry the same ambition: the Chardonnay from the Ried Schüttenberg is taut and mineral rather than broad, alongside Grüner Veltliner, Sauvignon Blanc and a rosé.
Notable Sites & Wines
The range follows the logic of Carnuntum DAC: regional wine, village wine and single-vineyard wine. Among the most important sites and bottles are:
- Ried Rosenberg (1ÖTW) – the estate's flagship site and the source of the blend of the same name, from Zweigelt, Blaufränkisch and Merlot
- Ried Haidacker – one of the classic top sites of Göttlesbrunn
- Ried Schüttenberg – the origin of the Chardonnay
- Ried Kirchweingarten – Zweigelt from Göttlesbrunn
- Ried Bärnreiser – another single vineyard of the estate
- M1 – the densest blend of the house and a repeated award winner
- Redmont and Göttlesbrunn Rot – an accessible blend and the village wine respectively
- Zweigelt Rubin Carnuntum – the regional varietal classic
- Mardonna – the estate's rosé
If you want to get to know the style, start with the Zweigelt and work your way up through Redmont and the village wine to the single-site bottlings.
Awards
Since the winemaker of the year title from Falstaff in 1999, Markowitsch has been a fixture of the Austrian red wine elite. At the Falstaff red wine award the estate was regularly at the very front for years: among others with the trophy for M1 in 2007 and again in 2015, and with victory for the blend Ried Rosenberg 2017 in the 2019 competition, plus several runner-up places. The wines also earn top scores at Vinaria and in international tastings.
More important than individual trophies is the effect: Markowitsch has done much to make Carnuntum recognised as a red wine region in its own right – and to have Zweigelt taken seriously as a great grape variety.