Relentless refinement from Bründlmayer estate in Langenlois
“Large flagship estates are not necessarily always of the highest quality, but the Bründlmayer name on a label offers an assurance of quality ranging from very good to outstanding.”
It’s a somewhat sober assessment from Stephen Brook in his July Decanter Magazine profile of this great estate in Austria’s Kamptal. But it’s a pretty vital endorsement for those of us who love wine, and want to know that our money is being well spent.
And Bründlmayer is a paragon. The regional entry in the Oxford Companion to Wine, no less, can’t even look past it. “Known also for its density of ambitious, environmentally conscious growers, Kamptal has benefited from vintner Willi Bründlmayer’s status as a long-standing unofficial ambassador for Austrian wine.”
The warm-natured, well-mannered, cultured gentleman who’s been at the helm here for 40 years – Willi Bründlmayer – reflects the pure class of the wines.
Confident but not showy. Self-possessed. And it just so happens that with superb vineyards, some very old vines, certified-organic viticulture and a really switched on team, that calmness converts into quietly spectacular wines.
2018 Bründlmayer Zweigelt Rosé $32
It is minty lemon rather than red fruit that makes for a very refreshing nose here. The palate is light, juicy and easy, but above all very fresh with lemon all the way to the finish.
89 points. Anne Krebiehl MW, Wine Enthusiast July 2019
2018 Bründlmayer Kamptal Terrassen Grüner Veltliner $40
White pepper, pear and apple, hay and caramel. Juicy and full of flavour, spicy and chalky, kind of savoury too with chicken and herbs in the mix. Finish is umami and spicy, and fairly long. Tickle of spritz here too.
92 points. Gary Walsh, The Wine Front September, 2019
2017 Bründlmayer Loiser Berg Grüner Veltliner $54
Lots of dried-herb and lentil character on the nose. At once powerful and elegant, this is a really sophisticated 2017 Grüner Veltliner that’s more open than many of the top wines of the vintage. From organically grown grapes. Drink or hold.
94 points. Stuart Pigott, jamessuckling.com October 2018
2017 Bründlmayer Kamptal Terrassen Riesling $43
A beautiful aromatic lift of citrus foliage signals freshness on the nose of this wine. The palate follows with a juicy mix of lemon and mandarin notes within a light, fresh and easy body that’s full of flavor, verve and joy. The finish is dry and moreish.
91 points. Anne Krebiehl MW, Wine Enthusiast September 2018
2017 Bründlmayer Steinmassl Riesling $64
A totally original dry Riesling form the Danube valley that has a suave and supple feel on the front palate. Then, the firmness from the rocky soil comes through on the cool, lemony finish. From organically grown grapes. Drink or hold.
94 points. Stuart Pigott, jamessuckling.com October 2018
2017 Bründlmayer Heiligenstein Riesling $132
The 2017 Riesling Ried Heiligenstein 1ÖTW Lyra is super fine and floral on the highly elegant, balanced nose. Pure but intense and very fine on the palate, this is a highly elegant, complex and very persistent Heiligenstein with remarkable tension, length and salinity. A gorgeous wine and probably one of the finest Austrian Rieslings of the 2017 vintage.
96 points. Stephan Reinhardt, Wine Advocate December 2018