Weingut Barbara Öhlzelt Grüner Leader 2022
Female winemaker Barbara Öhlzelt farms only around seven hectares in Austria’s Kamptal, but is quietly making some of the most precise, angelic, energetic wines in the region. The Kamptal is a curious place; it seems to have been dominated (or defined?) by the big boys of the region. These plush Kamptal wines aren’t exactly hard to find, and their general girth has created the distinct impression that the famous loess soils of the region necessarily result in big, broad, glycerin-heavy wines. Barbara’s style is the polar opposite. While the wines are angular and dancing, they don’t shout… and neither does Barbara.
Barbara is soft-spoken but intense, strongly opinionated, deeply passionate, playful and caring. Yes, she has great parcels in the Heiligenstein, Kamptal’s most historic and justly famous site (it’s a mix of various types of ancient primary and volcanic rock and often described as a geologic wonder), but ask her what her favorite site is and she’ll tell you it’s the Fogelberg, where her 65-year-old Riesling vines are a marvel.
| Vintage | 2022 |
| Varietal | Grüner Veltliner |
| Appellation | Kamptal |
| Alcohol | 12.00% |
| Volume | 1 liter |
| Country of Origin | AUSTRIA |
| State of Origin | N/A |
| Artificially Carbonated | No |
| Sparkling Wine | No |
Most work is done by hand as the majority of Öhlzelt’s vineyards cannot be accessed by machines. No herbicides or chemicals are used on the soil, ever. In most vintages Barbara follows general organic farming principles. However, when the harvest is compromised (in 2016 there were torrential rains leading to peronospera and botrytis), topical and/or systemic treatments are used. Note they are limited to application on leaves only.
The Grüner Leader is from a combination of all of Barbara’s Grüner vineyards with an average vine age of 30+ years.
