Christmas 2007

For a very long time the exciting vintage is over, the first signs of the winter can be seen. A wine year with large surprises, with extreme weathers and beautiful wines is over. This year was very much demanding for our vineyards. At the beginning the warm dry winter, a warm spring followed a very hot summer.

One cannot do our job without nature: In our winery we began on September 5th with the vintage. With the beginning of the vintage also the autumn came into the country - a beautiful autumn, with all its weather - from hot to cold, from dry to wet. These weather reversals formed also indirectly our wines. It was an exciting time.

The wines rest now calmly in the deep cellar, the red wines lie already all on the fine yeast in the wooden barrels for maturing.

While tasting these wines one can feel the enormous potential of the wines. enjoy. My family and I including our team may wish you a pleasing and peaceful Christmas, and a good 2008.

Your winemaker Hans Topf.

November 2nd, 2007

Today we finished the harvest 2007: in the morning on the Ofenberg with Gruener Veltliner. Golden, yellowish, ripe grapes with a hint of pepper. The grapes were brought to the cellar and pressed as whole-grapes at a gradation of 20 degrees KMW.

After the cleaning, we celebrated the harvest with roasted geese, some glasses of Staubiger (young, unfiltered wines) and later with some bottles of our cellar.
It was quite a long night...

I will be very happy to present you our wines 2007, as soon as they are bottled.

Your winemaker Hans Topf.

October 31st, 2007

On a dry day we harvested on Heiligenstein our Riesling with the maximum gradation of 19,5 degrees KWM.

The Heiligenstein nearly claimed its first sacrifice this year: Due to the rain, the soil was extremely slippery and difficult to drive on.

A trailer of our tractor started to slip away and only thanks to the routine of our driver Arek,the accident could be avoided.

With another tractor and our team it was possible to pull the trailer back on the road again: a work untli the night-hours.

Oktober 30th, 2007

After a week of rain we startet to harvest on the 30th with the Wechselberg Spiegel. On a dry day be brought in grapes with 19 degrees KMW.
They were healthy, but they were right on time. The next wind would have blown the berries away.

October 10th and 13th, 2007

We continue with our Granat-vines: In those days we care about our Chardonnay at Hasel. The joy of the work can be seen in the faces.



In the vineyard no slection is necessary; all the grapes are healthy. The intense work on the leaves during summertimes has paid off. The Chardonnay is not filled in barriques, but in specially manufactured barrels for this wine: 600 ltr made of Allier Woods with a medium toasting. There it rests for 7 months, with both fermentations.




Until late-night we worked in the cellar: the fermented wines were filled in new barrels; the barriques and the 600-ltr-barrels are filled with Sauvignon and Chardonnay and the fermentation is being checked. This means that we could have our first free sunday since September 4th!

October 8th & 9th, 2007

Tody the new barriques arrived. They came directly form the Tonnellerie (cooperage) Rousseau from France to us.

This was the ideal moment: Today we startet with the Sauvignon at Hasel. Honey-yellowish healthy grapes with a sugar of 20 degrees Klosterneuburger Mostwaage. This juice is filled into our new barrels, where it ferments twice and then matures 7 months.

October 3rd - 5th, 2007


The weather forecast predicted rain, but we are more optimistic: we harvest our Zweigelt for the Granat.

The vineyard at the site Hasel has already been harvested once. We cut out grapes several times, to keep just the best. This makes sense, so that all the power of the vines flows into the lasting grapes. On each vine we leave only one grape.

We pray that the weather stays dry.

October 2nd, 2007


Now we harvest one grape variety after the other: Today we go to the Sauvignon Strassertal.
As for the muscatel, these grapes are healthy and aromatic, too. Also the vinification is similar to the muscatel: A soft squeeze and a rest for about 6 hours in the closed press.




In the cellar the situation is a little hectic: The Zweigelt Strassertal is being pressed. Accuracy and care are most important.





The IT is great help, but this does not mean less work. The data is typed in until the night-hours.

October 1st, 2007

Today we brought in our site Sental with muscatel. For our team, this is the favourite site, because muscatel is easy to harvest and tastes wonderful.

The joy can be seen in our faces: grapes without failures and a gradation of 17 degrees Klosterneuburger Mostwaage.







The garpes are filled in the press gently. Then they are squeezed a little and rest for 8 hours. During this time the juice gets all the aromas from the skin, which results in a wonderful wine in the glass.

September 29th & 30th, 2007


Wonderful weather: This means we have to brake our rules and work even on week-ends.








Grüner Veltliner at our site Hasel was finished. Although it is sunday, the overall mood is perfect in our team!

September 27th & 28th, 2007
vintage-records winery Topf

Compulsory break caused by rain; even our head controller Ellroy isn't really glowing.
Now it's time for waiting, waiting and again more waiting.

But very exciting days of vintaging are still lying ahead, that's for sure.

September 26th, 2007
vintage-records winery Topf

Unfortunately the forecast of heavy rainfalls has finally turned out to be true, already the 25th has brought rain since 5 p.m. Before midday of September 26th we took a break of vintaging. Winds were drying the foliage. In the afternoon we gave it a try to restart vintaging. We proofed our luck at a young field at our site Hasel. The afternoon's weather kept stable, time for controlling the grapes very exactly, whether they are really dry, so that conditions for the sugar graduation are perfect. That's the main aim right now.
Everybody at our vineyard is occupied by the vintage at these days, Simone is supporting our cellarmaster in doing the controls.

September 22nd & 24th - 25th, 2007
vintage-records winery Topf

In these three days we finished "Gruener Veltliner" of site Wechselberg.
The quality of grapes at this site is simply great, grapes in rude health, a graduation of 18,5 degrees.
The stones of these grapes are dark brown, that stands for physiological ripeness. The flavor is very spicy and aromatic.

September 18th - 21st, 2007
vintage-records winery Topf

Today we started vintaging the first Veltliner-grapes at our site Strassertal.
The graduation is already stable at about 17 degrees Klosterneuburger Mostwaage. Acid-levels are in between 7‰ and 8‰, ph-value aprox. 3,4; so ideal condition for light, fruity and spicy Veltliners.

At the same time Simone and my father are doing the so called 100-grapes-testing. Therefor they are picking 100 grapes of each site very carefully and squeeze it all through a linen drapery by hand. Throughout this process you gather about aprox. 100 ml grape-must. It follows a very detailed analysis of graduation, acid-percentage and ph-value.
Those parameters are very important for the decisions to make whether and which sites can be vintaged or not.

But the final word has to be spoken by myself, when I'm out at the vineyards tasting the specific grapes and asking me questions like - are the cores already dark brown enough? - are the cores almost loosening themselves off of the pulp? - do the grapes taste already typical for their variety?
Finally it's all depending on those criteria whether a site is ready for vintaging or not.
That's one of the most enjoyable duties a winemaker has to fulfill and which for I'm spending time each year with great delight again and again.

September 17th, 2007
vintage-records winery Topf

On sunday we are never doing the vintage, not because we are lazy, no, my cellar assistent and I are needing this day to analyse the gone by week's vintage, to document it, to control the fermenting process and of course to keep an eye on all already stored musts.

September 14th - 15th, 2007
vintage-records winery Topf

And the vintage of Zweigelt goes further on, this time not for our "Weissen", but for our "Strassertal".
Both Zweigelts are consisting grapes from the same sites.




Grapes are being picked right into big boxes, as we do with all our varieties, then being seperated from woods by hand and being filled into fermenting tanks (only red wines are being seperated by hand). The graduation is at the same level as it is for the "Weissen"; aromatic and ideal acid-percentage for a wonderful Zweigelt of our Kamptal.

September 12th - 14th, 2007
vintage-records winery Topf

Today we were vintaging the grapes for our "Weissen" (white Zweigelt). Wonderful ripe once without any taint are being vintaged into small buckets (aprox. 20-25 kg). That's for preventing the berries' peel of beeing harmed and therefor of emitting any pigments.

Instantly it follows a very gentle squeezing process of the grapes on the whole. That's the only way to assure that the white Zweigelt is going to be really a white one.

September 10th - 11th, 2007
vintage-records winery Topf

In those days site Blickenweg has been finished. Thank god, the rain brought up neither problems in terms of graduation nor rottenness. graduation level is stable at 17 degrees Klosterneuburger Mostwaage.

September 7th, 2007
vintage-records winery Topf

During the first days of vintage the weather gods didn't like us as much as the months before.

Nevertheless we are lucky about the rain, because the rainfalls that came down with 110 litre each square metre were more than important for the nature, and for our vineyards as well.

The soil at our sites had been partly slackened so every raindrop could encroach into it easily and was available for the roots instantly.

Cool winds on friday had been drying the foliage very quickly so the grapes were dry very soon as well. That's important, because otherwise rottenness would spread out over our yards.

And don't forget the sites that are going to be vintaged next weeks - rain was like a blessing for those.

Finaly we only lost four days, which means going on with vintaging on Monday the 10th of September - hopefully supported by dry and warm weather conditions.

September 5th, 2007
vintage-records winery Topf

The few rainfalls our vineyards were obtaining at August had been timed perfectly so that we never had to be worried about our vines suffering dryness.
And those sites, such as Heiligenstein, Wechselberg Spiegel, Wechselberg and Gaisberg, growing on mineralic primary rock soil, which is very sensitive to water shortage, we were able to support with adequate irrigation.

We are looking forward with great delight to this year's vintage, which started today at September the 8th.
Over the years it happened to become tradition to start vintaging at our site Blickenweg, this year backed by 30 keen hands.
The grapes are in rude health and very aromatic. Graduation is ideal for our mixed type: in between 16 and 17 degrees Klosterneuburger Mostwaage.

We are vintaging the grapes into boxes first in order to squeeze the whole grapes gently afterwards.

If the weather gods are with us, we should be able to finish Blickenweg at saturday, 8th of September.

July 3rd, 2007
phase of growing completed

Dear friends of good wine and our vinery!

Walking through our vineyards is nothing but enjoyment these days: Up from late May until early June growing of the grapes proceeded perfectly. Caused by elevated temperatures of bygone months we got at least 14 days of growth and grape-size in advance. That's why the phase of growing already ended during the last days of June. We are expecting a very early vindemiation this year. All signs are foretelling a great vintage 2007.

We were able to finish grape-splitting of Gruener Veltlinger and Zweigelt in June. At the moment we are occupied with thinning out our vines. But all worry of winemakers these days is about thunderstorms coming with such hot days as present and whether each of us will be untroubled by big devastations caused by the monstrous hailstones they are entailing.

At the cellar there is still a lot to do. Chardonnay and Sauvignon Hasel were filled early in July, coming from our barriques and after one month in steel tanks. Little amounts of these great vines were put into big-size-bottles once more. (1,5lt, 3lt, 6lt, 12lt, 18lt and even two 27lt-bottles).

Relating to red wines there are a lot of news at our vinery: We got two new and really great wines in addition, the very first vintage of Zweigelt Sachsenberg and smaller quantities of a Merlot coming from our location Point. Both are wonderful, dense and powerful muscle wines. In case of Zweigelt Sachsenberg it is the first vintage intended for sale. But 2005 will be the one and only vintage for the sale of this special Merlot, because we only got very small quantities of this rarity. Both wines are ready for tasting.

I and our whole team wish you a relaxing summer. We are looking forward to see you again.

Kind regards,

April 27th, 2007
CubeViewNight

What's the best you can do after a sucessful presentation - right, you should arrange another one.

This time everyones attention was focused to only one single thing... only one? - probably that expression won't fit, but as true for a cube, there was more than only one side to explore when it came to our new wine-scene-meeting:

...our new and limited wine edition - the so called CubeView, and its eponym, the architectural pendant - our new office- and tastingcube.

It was a gorgeous night with an beautiful sunny afternoon serving as an appetizer. Everyone of the manifold guests, containing some friends of the village, the architect of the cube, our mayor and second mayor of Strass, and last but not least the chairman of viniculturing, could make up his mind about our CubeView, or let's say CubeViews.

Some of the pictures coming up during this event you can get over here:

>> more pictures

April 2007
vintage presentation

Well, vintage presentations probably are the most significant moments in every wine's career, as a matter of course beside the wine-growing-process itself. The decision is made right here weather this or that wine is going to be a good wine or just simple standard.


This year we were looking for a very special location for our presentation and finally we found one that is really satisfying - the STYLE HOTEL located in the Herrengasse in Vienna. Reams of newsmen and most of our best customers - each of them a real wine connoisseur - were able to assure themselves of the finesse and quality of the vintage 2006 of the winery Topf.

>> more pictures

March 2007
Welcome spring!

My dear winefriends!

Temperatures are rising quickly, spring has come to our Kamptal and we are hoping that Mr. Freeze won't come again. Live has come to our vineyards again - crickets are chirping, lizards are hanging around lying in the sun and birds are singing while we are tieing the vines.
All those are signals that tell a winemaker: "Winter is over!".
Cutting the vines is done and we will finish the tieing in the end of March.

The first "Lagenweine" from Wecheslberg are down in the cellar already (Gruener Veltliner und Riesling). Locations Wechselberg, Spiegel and Ofenberg we will do in April. Those wines, that are matured in new woods, as those from Hasel (Grüner Veltliner, Chardonnay und Sauvignon Blanc), will be bottled later on in late summer.

You can taste and of course get all those wines of the excellent vintage 2006 in our new tasting room. We fondly named it "CubeView".

You are asking for the background of this name?
Don't hesitate to visit us. We are looking forward to show and explain our latest accomplishment to you. Be curious - there is something to explore.

The very first events in our CubeView are:

• Kamptaler Weinfruehling
   April, 28th - 29th, 1pm. - 6pm.
• Die Tour de Vin
   May, 5th - 6th, 10am. - 6pm.

That's the very first time that our winery is open during two weekends next to each other. Come and join us - the motto is:

„having a look around, twaddling and buying“

I will individually guide around our cellar and taste some big-bottle-rarities togehter with my guests.
I'm looking forward having some great time at our winery,

best regards and
see you soon,
yours

       

January 2007
Midwinter

Unfortunately the mild beautiful weather is still dominating this winter. At the moment we are cutting the vines at air-temperatures you usually get at late spring. On one site it is wonderful out there in our vineyards breathing this lukewarm clean winter-air, but on the other site the big danger of this weather is that the vines could start sprouting. Thanks to the low temperatures during nights and early mornings that shouldn't happen before the real winter will come and prevent this problem.

At the cellar the "Lagenweine" which are finishing in steel-tanks are already split off from the brewer's yeast. The acid-reduction of those wines which are finishing in our new wooden casks is done as well. It's a lot of pleasure tasting the wines of vintage 2006.
The first ones are already bottled:
Gruener Veltliner Strassertal
Riesling Strassertal
Sauvignon Strassertal
Blickenweg
and one virgin vintage
of the "Gelber Muskateller".

New office & a bigger team

During the first days of the new year we aspirated into our new office, tasting room included. The wonderful modern ambience fits perfect to our new wines.
The elegant cube's doors are daily opened for our customers from now on (except sun- & holidays) from 9 a.m. until 12 a.m. and 1 p.m. until 5 p.m.

We are glad to welcome you in our new ambience for tasting our new wines.








Our team has become bigger.
Ms. Simone Pelz, a profound wine connoisseur, is our new member.
She's familiar to all sectors of work in our vineyards by now.