Neumeister

The Neumeister family cultivates approximately 30 hectares of vineyards in southeastern Styria, near the Slovenian border. This makes them the largest winery in the region. The winery is located in the village of Straden, in southeastern Styria. This region is also known as Vulkanland, a reference to old volcanic soils with a calcareous component. The gravel scattered here and there is called Sarmat, hence the name for their Gemischter Satz. The ‘Erste Lage’ vineyards are called Klausen and Steintal, and the ‘Grosse Lage’ vineyard is the famous Moarfeitl. The steep vineyards are demanding, and the rainy climate also means that an extreme amount of manual labor is required. Grapes here usually need a long hang time to complete phenolic ripening, a difficult challenge, but if successful, it also yields magnificent wines.

The current winemaker and 3rd generation of Neumeister, Christoph, has been in charge since 2006, and he does things a little differently than his father Albert. While Albert focused on maximizing fruit and power in the wine, Christoph concentrates more on producing wines with an understated character, light-footedness, and dense complexity with elegant layering and texture. There is a strict selection for ripeness, with multiple checks in the vineyard and upon arrival in the cellar. Old and large barrels are used so that the wine breathes and develops while retaining its pure expression. With a biological philosophy where must and wine are moved as little as possible (and then only by gravity) and fermentation by wild ambient yeasts, Christoph has given his wines a phenomenal character, in which the reflection of Vulkanland is paramount.