Johannes Zillinger

Johannes Zillinger runs the family estate in Velm-Götzendorf, in the Weinviertel. His father Hans was one of Austria's earliest organic converts, back in 1983; Johannes took over in 2013 and moved the estate to biodynamics (Demeter-certified since).

Around 20 hectares, vines between five and fifty-five years old, on the typical Weinviertel loess, loam and limestone. The variety set is wide - Grüner Veltliner, Riesling, Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, Muskateller, Scheurebe for whites; Zweigelt, Sankt Laurent, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Syrah and a little Rösler for reds - and the cellar increasingly favours amphora and large wood over steel (over 60% in recent vintages), with spontaneous fermentation, extended lees, and minimal or zero SO2 on many cuvées.

The range sits across four lines:

• Velue - entry-level village blends, named after the old name of Velm-Götzendorf and the willows along the rivers. Light, everyday, simple in the best sense.
• Reflexion - single-vineyard, single-variety wines, the terroir-serious tier.
• Revolution - multi-vintage solera blends, skin-contact whites and rosé, pét-nats, PIWI experiments. Where Johannes pushes.
• Numen - single-variety, amphora-fermented, the most minimal-intervention tier, from the oldest vines.

A Parcellaire Rouge (Cabernet Franc / Syrah) rounds out the reds. Worth repeating that this is a different Zillinger from Herbert and Carmen Zillinger in Ebenthal - also Weinviertel, also biodynamic (respekt-BIODYN), but a separate estate; their Horizont label is sometimes confused for a Johannes cuvée and isn't.