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Jurtschitsch Sonnhof

Jurtschitsch Sonnhof Reputed to be the creation of the Babenburg dynasty, who ruled Austria before the House of Habsburg, the Sonnhof estate in Langenlois is truly ancient. The first written records date from 1541, although the cellars - an impressive 14 m below ground - date from the 14th Century. For centuries the estates' purpose was the provision of wine for the nearby Franciscan monastery, but in 1868 the Jurtschitsch family purchased the estate. Generations of the same family have run the estate ever since, and today the Jurtschitsch brothers Edwin, Karl and Paul are in control. The estate today comprises over 60 ha of vineyards, these are as follows:

Zöbinger Heiligenstein: Permian sandstone with volcanic materials, in a heat-capturing, south-facing amphitheatre opposite the town of Langenlois.
Loiserberg: a southeast facing site, with gneiss bedrock and a thin layer of soil on top. Gneiss is a metamorphic rock formed by the action of heat and/or pressure on other rocks and minerals.
Ladner: a mix of sand, clay, loam and slate, the vineyard is located in a depression which holds warmth and shields from winds.
Fahnberg: also a thin layer of soil over gneiss bedrock, with a southerly exposure.
Steinhaus: a mix of sandy clay and loam, with gneiss and schist. A very rocky, stony site.
Dechant: a south-easterly facing site with deep soils.
Schenkenbichl: a south-facing site of unusual, deep, brown-black soils.
Spiegel: deep soils again, south-facing.

The vineyards are dominated by Grüner Veltliner, with Riesling and Zweigelt the two next most popular, although there is a huge selection of varieties cultivated here. They are cultivated on organic lines, and have been done so since the 1970s. This involves the use of composted materials as fertiliser and a system of integrated pest management, planting to encourage beneficial insects into the vineyard. Planting density is high, to encourage competition between the vines. Vinification is high-tech, with a four level cellar allowing the movement of embryonic wine from one stage to the next without a singe pump. The white grapes receive a gentle pressing before a cold maceration for several hours, before fermentation of either whole bunches or destemmed berries. The red grapes, however, are always destemmed before fermentation, with skin contact varying according to the variety in question.

One of Jurtschitsch Sonnhof's modern innovations has been GrüVe, a Grüner Veltliner adorned with a label by Austrian artist Christian Ludwig Attersee, first released with the 1987 vintage. This is never a serious cuvee, the intention be to encourage a modern feel to the wine, with a fresh and light style. (27/4/05)

Contact details:
Address: Rudolfstrasse 39, A-3550 Langenlois
Telephone: +43 (0) 2734 2116
Fax: +43 (0) 2734 2116 11
Internet: www.jurtschitsch.com

Jurtschitsch Sonnhof - Tasting Notes

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2003

Jurtschitsch Sonnhof Riesling Zöbinger Heiligenstein 2003: Perfumed minerals and oranges. Fresh, weighty, balanced palate. Mineral-orange notes like the nose, with a chalky finish. Decent concentration. Good. 16/20 (November 2004)

Jurtschitsch Sonnhof Riesling Zöbinger Heiligenstein Reserve 2003: This wine is rather shy on the nose. Firm, rounded, balanced palate though. Good concentration, and good depth of fruit, but not showing much else at present. 15.5+/20 (November 2004)

2002

Jurtschitsch Sonnhof Grüner Veltliner Alte Reben 2002: From old vines (average 45 years) in the Dechant vineyard. Soft, exotic, peppery mineral perfume. Rounded palate, good concentration of flavour though, with peppery fruit and crisp acidity. This is good. 15.5/20 (November 2004)

Jurtschitsch Sonnhof Grüner Veltliner Schenkenbichl 2002: More exotic notes here. Perfumed. Not as characterful on the palate as one would have expected. But nicely balanced, with a crisp freshness, and a fat note of richness on the endpalate. This is good. 15/20 (November 2004)

Jurtschitsch Sonnhof Grüner Veltliner Spiegel Reserve 2002: Beautiful nose here. Mineral and stone influenced character. Fat, creamy palate, but bright and fresh with lovely character. Great balance, good pepper edged fruit. Delightful. 17/20 (November 2004)

Jurtschitsch Sonnhof Grüner Veltliner Eiswein 2002: Pure, sweet fruit nose. Great impact and balance on the palate, with a pure, rich sweetness. Brilliant texture. Not as omnipotent on the palate as the Chardonnay TBA, but great nevertheless. Fantastic, clean finish. 18+/20 (November 2004)

2000

Jurtschitsch Sonnhof Riesling Zöbinger Heiligenstein Auslese 2000: Good perfumed fruit on the nose. Lovely balance to the palate, with crisp acidity behind a rich, oil character. Pepper and spice fruit. This is very good indeed. 16.5+/20 (November 2004)

1998

Jurtschitsch Sonnhof Chardonnay Trockenbeerenauslese 1998: A very heady, perfumed, orange and apricot nose, with a botrytis character. Lovely depth. And an amazing palate, heady, creamy-oily richness, with stunning depth of flavour and concentration. Showing some complexity. This is very impressive. Will only improve over coming decades. 18.5+/20 (November 2004)