Gut Oggau Mechthild Weiss 2021

Eduard Tscheppe and Stephanie Tscheppe-Eselböck launched Gut Oggau in 2007 after acquiring an abandoned 17th-century winery in the village of Oggau on Lake Neusiedl's western shore. Eduard had worked in conventional winemaking with his father in Styria; Stephanie's family operated Taubenkobel, a Michelin-starred restaurant in Burgenland. The estate had been untended for approximately 20 years—a circumstance that proved advantageous, as chemical residues had cleared from the soils, permitting immediate conversion to biodynamic viticulture.

Today, Gut Oggau maintains full Demeter certification across roughly 25 hectares. Among the estate's restored equipment is a 200-year-old vertical screw press, reserved for the top-tier wines including Mechthild and Bertholdi. Annual production averages 40,000 bottles, making these wines among Austria's most allocated.

The Gut Oggau concept centers on a fictional family. Each wine represents a family member with a distinct personality, illustrated by artist Jung von Matt. Three generations comprise the lineup: children (Theodora, Atanasius, Winifred) come from younger vines on gravel soils, yielding lighter, energetic wines. Parents (Joschuari, Emmeram, Timotheus, Josephine) derive from warmer sites with greater sun exposure, producing fuller-bodied cuvées. Grandparents (Mechthild, Bertholdi) represent the oldest vines on limestone and slate hillsides—single-vineyard wines with the most structure and aging potential.

Mechthild embodies the family matriarch: resolute, principled, kind-hearted yet occasionally secretive. As a 100% Grüner Veltliner from 60-year-old vines, this wine receives the most traditional treatment—extended skin contact, fermentation in large old oak, pressing on the antique vertical press, and two full years of barrel aging. Produced in tiny quantities, Mechthild ranks among the most expensive Grüner Veltliners in Burgenland.

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

Burgenland lies along Austria's eastern border with Hungary, its landscape defined by the Pannonian Plain and the shallow expanse of Lake Neusiedl. This region encompasses approximately 32,200 acres of vineyards, making it Austria's second-largest wine-growing area and its warmest. The lake, Europe's largest steppe lake, exerts a moderating influence on temperatures while generating humidity that shapes both dry wine production and the botrytized dessert wines for which the area is renowned.

Oggau sits on the western shore of Lake Neusiedl within the Neusiedlersee zone. Hillside vineyards above the village feature limestone and slate soils—markedly different from the gravel deposits found on flatter terrain closer to the lake. These older geological formations produce wines with pronounced mineral character and structure, qualities that distinguish the estate's top cuvées. The Pannonian climate delivers warm continental conditions, with hot Hungarian air meeting cooler Alpine breezes from the west, extending the growing season while allowing grapes to retain acidity.

Burgenland divides into four DAC (Districtus Austriae Controllatus) zones. Neusiedlersee wraps around the lake, while Leithaberg in the north showcases mineral whites and reds from ancient soils. Mittelburgenland centers on Blaufränkisch production, and Eisenberg in the southeast yields structured, iron-inflected reds.

Though Burgenland built its reputation on red wines—Blaufränkisch, Zweigelt, St. Laurent—the region also produces whites of substance and longevity. Grüner Veltliner, Austria's signature white variety, develops a fuller, riper expression here than in cooler regions like the Wachau. The warm climate and complex soils allow old-vine Grüner Veltliner to achieve depth and textural complexity rarely found elsewhere. Natural winemaking has flourished in Burgenland, with producers embracing biodynamic and minimal intervention practices.

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