| Region of production: | Wachau |
| Winery Location: | Spitz an der Donau |
| Year Established: | The Hirtzberger family first purchased land and planted vines in the village in the late 1800s. |
Vineyard Holdings
15 ha
- Donaugarten: lowest altitude vineyard above Danube, planted to Grüner Veltliner for Steinfeder wines
- Rotes Tor: soil is gneiss, mica, and schist; planted to Grüner Veltliner Federspiel and Smaragd wines
- Axpoint: younger vineyard, soil is predominantly clay; planted to Grüner Veltliner for Smaragd wines
- Honivogl: planted to Grüner Veltliner
- Setzberg: highest altitude of their vineyards, soil is gneiss
- Hochrain: soil is sandy loam over weathered rock; planted to Riesling
- Singerriedel: soil is gneiss, mica, and schist; planted to Riesling for Smaragd wines
- Pluris: soil is primarily clay; planted to Grauburgunder
- Steinporz: soil is weathered gneiss; planted to Weissbergunder
- Schlossgarten: planted to Chardonnay
Top Wines Produced & Inaugural Vintages
- Axpoint Grüner Veltliner Smaragd
- Hochrain Riesling Smaragd
- Honivogl Grüner Veltliner Smaragd
- Kirchweg Grüner Veltliner Smaragd
- Pluris Grauburgunder Smaragd
- Rotes Tor Grüner Veltliner Federspiel
- Rotes Tor Grüner Veltliner Smaragd
- Setzberg Riesling Smaragd
- Singerriedel Riesling Smaragd
- Steinerterrassen Riesling Federspiel
- Steinporz Weissburgunder Smaragd
Average Total Production
- N/A
Summary
The Hirtzberger estate is located in the western end of the Wachau in Spitz, where the Hirtzberger family has lived and farmed for five generations. Franz Hirtzberger Sr. took over in 1983 and built a reputation for dry, terroir-oriented wines before the Austrian’s 1985 wine scandal. He was one of the founding members of Vinea Wachau (along with Joseph Jamek, Franz Prager, and Wilhelm Schwengler). During the eighties, Franz expanded the family’s vineyard holdings and renovated the cellar. The Hirtzberger philosophy centers around harvesting as late as possible, often with multiple passes through the same vineyard to achieve the best physiological ripeness. Franz Hirtzberger Jr. has recently taken the reins from his father and continues to manage the winemaking in the same fashion.
Style & Vinification Techniques
All vineyards harvested by hand. Both commercial yeasts and indigenous yeasts have been used for fermentation in temperature-controlled stainless steel. Following fermentation wines are aged in large, older 30-50 hectoliter foudres. Winemaking is more reductive in style and wines do not see extended time on the lees or bâtonnage.
Producer Website: Hirtzberger