Gut Oggau Atanasius Red Wine 2022

Gut Oggau began in 2007 when Eduard Tscheppe and Stephanie Tscheppe-Eselböck acquired Vineyard Wimmer, a 17th-century estate that had sat dormant for two decades. Eduard had learned winemaking alongside his father in Styria; Stephanie grew up at Taubenkobel, her family's two-Michelin-starred restaurant in Burgenland. Together they restored the historic cellar and its 200-year-old wooden screw press, transforming an abandoned property into one of Austria's most recognized natural wine estates.

The vineyard's twenty years of neglect proved advantageous: without chemical treatments, the soils had cleansed themselves, allowing immediate conversion to biodynamic practices. Today, roughly 25 hectares hold Demeter certification. The Tscheppes employ cover crops, compost, sheep and chicken grazing, and horse-drawn plowing to maintain soil health and biodiversity. This labor-intensive approach carries through to the cellar, where fermentation relies on native yeasts, aging occurs in neutral Austrian oak, and wines are bottled without fining, filtration, or added sulfur.

Each Gut Oggau wine belongs to a fictional family illustrated by artist Jung von Matt. Three generations populate the lineup: the children (Atanasius, Theodora, Winifred) come from younger vines and yield lighter, energetic wines; the parents (Joschuari, Emmeram, Timotheus, Josephine) derive from warmer exposures and produce fuller-bodied cuvées; the grandparents (Mechthild, Bertholdi) represent the oldest plantings and most structured expressions.

Atanasius is the son of Wiltrude and Joschuari, brother to Theodora. His character is described as affectionate and easy-going yet complex—popular and charming with hidden depths. The wine reflects this personality: approachable on first pour but revealing layers of spice and minerality as it opens. Annual production across all wines averages 40,000 bottles.

Discover more from Gut Oggau: Theodora Weiss, Joschuari Rot, Winifred Rosé, Mechthild Weiss. Browse best-selling natural wines.

Burgenland stretches along Austria's eastern border with Hungary, its rolling landscape shaped by the Pannonian Plain and the moderating presence of Lake Neusiedl. Covering approximately 32,200 acres of vineyards, this is Austria's second-largest wine region and its primary source for red wine production. The warm continental climate—hot summers tempered by cool nights and lake-effect breezes—allows red varieties to achieve full phenolic ripeness while retaining fresh acidity.

The village of Oggau occupies the western shore of Lake Neusiedl within the Neusiedlersee zone. Vineyards here benefit from gravel and limestone soils that provide drainage and contribute mineral character to the wines. The lake itself functions as a giant heat regulator: it absorbs warmth during the day and releases it at night, extending the growing season and protecting vines from early frosts.

Burgenland encompasses four DAC (Districtus Austriae Controllatus) appellations, each with distinct characteristics. Neusiedlersee surrounds the lake and produces both dry wines and botrytized dessert wines; Leithaberg in the north emphasizes mineral whites and structured reds from limestone slopes; Mittelburgenland focuses almost exclusively on Blaufränkisch; Eisenberg in the southeast yields iron-inflected, tannic reds.

Blaufränkisch anchors Burgenland's red wine identity—peppery, dark-fruited, and structured. Zweigelt, a crossing of Blaufränkisch and St. Laurent developed in Austria in 1922, adds softer fruit and approachability to blends. Together, these varieties define the regional style: wines that balance ripe fruit with savory spice and mineral tension.

Natural winemaking has established strong roots in Burgenland, with estates like Gut Oggau, Claus Preisinger, and Meinklang drawing international attention. The region's combination of favorable terroir and biodynamic farming practices continues to attract producers committed to minimal intervention.

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