Even if nature hands you a perfect hand, you still have to know how to play your cards consciously and skilfully. This is exactly what the Paul Achs winery on Lake Neusiedl manages to do - with wines that are independent, strong in character and, above all, a pleasure to drink.It is one of the basic facts of physics: liquids cannot be pressed into shapes. And yet, time and again, there are astonishing attempts to achieve just that. And if it is only in terms of taste. But not to force wines into some aromatic grid and to refrain from "designing" them year after year to be identical in taste - that is the very great art of winemaking. An art that has been practised for generations at the family-run Paul Achs winery in Gols on Lake Neusiedl. Because the simple and at the same time formative motto of the winemaking family is: "Wine should taste as it is - and not as it could be." They are much more concerned with accompanying wines - from the vine to the bottle. Acknowledging the year in which they mature and influencing them as little as possible along the way. In this way, their strengths of character are underlined through careful vinification and their individual strengths are captured skilfully, authentically and pointedly.
This philosophy is supported in a very special way by Lake Neusiedl, on whose shores the wine-growing village of Gols is located. After all, the steppe lake has a significant influence on the climate of the region. In the sunny summer, which pampers the grapes in the midst of northern Burgenland's natural paradise, the shallow body of water stores the warmth and releases it to the surrounding rows of vines in the autumn. In this way, the lake provides a unique climate that optimally supports the late ripening of the grapes. The clayey limestone soils of the vineyards also know how to store the well-dosed rainfall of the year and thus optimally supply the precious grapes even in the greatest dry periods. One could truly say that this area is made for winegrowing. Especially if you know how to read it and truly work in harmony with this natural paradise: And this is exactly what has been happening on what is now a 25-hectare estate since 1684. After all, viticulture has been the key moment of their creative work in every generation. This has resulted in an awareness that has always gone hand in hand with many natural, sustainable moments in the vineyard and also in the cellar, and has been officially biodynamically certified since 2006. An awareness that has now been carried on by the next generation - by Johannes Achs - since February 2022.
"Our goal is to let the best grape material ripen and to make wines that are complex and exciting. Wines that have one thing in common: The joy of drinking," says the winemaker, for whom it has always been clear to follow in the family footsteps and make wine. The focus is on the autochthonous grape variety Blaufränkisch, which knows how to make the best use of the microclimatic peculiarities and combines perfect ripeness with pure elegance. But also grape varieties such as Zweigelt, St. Laurent. Pinot Noir and Cabernet Franc show their best and most expressive side in the top vineyards such as Altenberg, Ungerberg, Spiegel, Seufertsberg and Gabarinza. In addition, all red wines are mostly matured in wooden barrels that are used several times, so that the independent aromas of the wines are not overlaid, but only brought out. After all, this is precisely the goal: to create wines that can speak for themselves. And that in liquid form.
We cordially invite you to get to know this great winery with its Blaufränkisch Heideboden with its in February at our wein.plus:club online tastings. Places, which are available for B2B and end consumers, are very limited.
You can purchase the featured wine from the following resellers.