Why it matters
The producer
Christoph Neumeister took over from his father, Albert, in 2006, when he was 25. He represents the family's third generation of winegrowers in Straden. The estate has farmed organically since 2013, with Weissburgunder, Grauburgunder and Morillon among its varieties.
All wines ferment spontaneously. Fruit and wine move by gravity from harvest through bottling, and Christoph favours well-used oak for ageing.
Place and vineyards
Where the wines begin
The estate's vineyards lie across numerous steep hillsides around Straden at elevations of 340 to 380 metres. Machinery is largely impractical on these inclines, so harvest and every other vineyard task are completed by hand.
Wines to know
The range in view
The current Sauvignon Blanc Straden is a village wine from Vulkanland Steiermark DAC. After two days of skin maceration, it spends most of a year on fine lees in used oak casks holding 500 to 2,500 litres. Cassis, red pepper, anise and gooseberry lead into perilla, blackcurrant and Thai basil. The texture is airy yet concentrated, with a spicy, juicy and saline finish.
The current Weissburgunder Straden receives brief skin contact, fermentation in stainless steel and large old wooden casks, and eight months on lees. Macadamia, sesame, pear and linden blossom precede a sinewy, supple body with quince, fig, dandelion and nut bread. The finish is structured, easy-drinking and long.