Why it matters
The producer
At Kirchenplatz 13 in Spitz, Austria, FJ Gritsch is led in the cellar by Franz-Josef Gritsch, who represents the family's seventh generation of winemaking in Spitz. The estate's range places single vineyard wines beside the younger Kalmuck line, described as a contemporary interpretation of Wachau tradition.
The vineyards require hand work through much of the growing year, from pruning through harvest. The wines therefore arrive with a clear connection to named Wachau sites, including Kalkofen, 1000 Eimerberg and Kirchpoint.
Place and vineyards
Where the wines begin
The Wachau's steep terraced vineyards make much of the work manual, with pruning and harvesting carried out by hand. FJ Gritsch is based in Spitz, while its named vineyard range extends across sites including Steinporz, Singerriedel, Setzberg, Loibenberg, Klaus, Kalkofen, Hochrain, Dürnsteiner Burgweingarten, Axpoint and 1000 Eimerberg.
The estate also changed its origin wording. From the 2023 vintage onward, FJ Gritsch uses the DAC origin pyramid instead of the Federspiel and Smaragd designations. The estate linked the change to climate change and greater clarity in international markets.
In the cellar
Vineyards and cellar
The estate cultivates 15 hectares across named Wachau sites. FJ Gritsch is certified under the Nachhaltig Austria sustainability scheme, which covers ecological, economic and social standards.
The modern Kalmuck cellar is used to make, age and store the estate's wines. Kirchpoint spent three months in stainless steel. Kalkofen underwent temperature controlled fermentation in stainless steel, ageing on fine yeast and maturation in large oak barrels.
Wines to know
The range in view
The range pairs single vineyard wines with the younger Kalmuck line. The named site bottlings include Riesling 1000 Eimerberg Federspiel and Riesling Kalkofen Smaragd, while Kirchpoint is made entirely from Grüner Veltliner.
The bottles occupy different positions within the range. Kirchpoint is a named Grüner Veltliner wine with stainless steel maturation, 1000 Eimerberg is a Riesling with a stated five to ten year ageing window, and Kalkofen is presented as a deep, exceptionally long lived wine with potential for decades.