Blaufränkisch Rusterberg

The Triebaumers have been recorded in Rust since 1681. Ernst and Grete Triebaumer ran the estate until 2013 – it was their 1986 Mariental Blaufränkisch that put this indigenous red variety back in the running, even though the initial Austrian red wine boom of the late 1980s all happened on the back of Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot. Nonetheless, the Triebaumers were amongst those who always respected the variety and knew of its undeniable quality. Their sons and their wives now run the estate: Stefanie and Gerhard Triebaumer and Claudia and Herbert Triebaumer. They farm 18 hectares of vines plus ten hectares of fruit and vegetables in a drive to be as self-sufficient and holistic as possible. Seventy percent of their production is red, and Blaufränkisch is their most important variety, but they also grow Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Syrah, and a little Blauburgunder, or Pinot Noir. For whites there is Muskateller, Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc and Traminer. They have worked according to biodynamic methods for the past 20 years and finally, three years ago, decided to go for certification. They certainly have internalized and lived biodynamic principles and keep pushing the boundaries by making their own biochar and utilizing silt and mud from Lake Neusiedl for its water-holding capacity – both becoming part of their homemade compost. Gerhard Triebaumer calls this “climate farming with local elements.” All the wines are inoculated with a pied de cuve that was started spontaneously.