Gut Oggau Timotheus Weiss 2022

Eduard Tscheppe and Stephanie Tscheppe-Eselböck established Gut Oggau in 2007, reviving a 17th-century winery that had been abandoned for two decades in the village of Oggau overlooking Lake Neusiedl. Eduard brought winemaking experience from his father's operation in Styria; Stephanie's family owned Taubenkobel, a two-Michelin-starred restaurant in Burgenland. The estate's prolonged neglect proved beneficial—chemical residues had cleared from the soils, enabling immediate conversion to biodynamic practices. Today, Gut Oggau maintains full Demeter certification across roughly 25 hectares, with vineyards grazed by sheep and chickens, enriched by cover crops, and partly worked by horse.

The estate's distinctive concept assigns each wine a place within a fictional family, illustrated by artist Jung von Matt. Three generations comprise the lineup: children (Theodora, Atanasius, Winifred) from younger vines yield lighter, energetic wines; parents (Joschuari, Emmeram, Timotheus, Josephine) derive from warmer sites producing fuller-bodied cuvées; grandparents (Mechthild, Bertholdi) represent the oldest vines and most structured expressions.

Timotheus occupies the parent generation—the son of Mechthild and Bertholdi, brother to Joschuari and Emmeram. He is characterized as strong, powerful, and balanced: a self-confident man who stands firmly planted yet remains open-minded and quick to make friends. His second wife is Josephine; his daughter from a first marriage is Winifred. The wine bearing his name reflects these qualities: structured yet approachable, intellectual yet charming. The partial skin contact—one-third of the fruit macerated for three weeks—adds grip and complexity while maintaining the freshness that distinguishes the Gut Oggau whites. Annual production across all wines averages 40,000 bottles.

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

Burgenland occupies Austria's eastern frontier where the country meets Hungary, its landscape defined by the Pannonian Plain and Lake Neusiedl. With approximately 32,200 acres under vine, this is Austria's second-largest wine region and its warmest—conditions that have historically favored red wine production. Lake Neusiedl, one of Europe's largest steppe lakes, moderates temperature extremes and generates humidity that shapes both dry wine production and the celebrated botrytized dessert wines of the area.

Oggau sits on the lake's western shore within the Neusiedlersee zone. Soils here range from gravel deposits near the water to limestone on higher ground, providing excellent drainage while imparting mineral character to wines. The Pannonian climate delivers warm continental conditions: hot air from Hungary meets cooler Alpine breezes from the west, extending the growing season while enabling grapes to retain natural acidity despite the warmth.

Burgenland comprises four DAC (Districtus Austriae Controllatus) zones: Neusiedlersee surrounds the lake; Leithaberg in the north showcases mineral-driven whites and reds; Mittelburgenland centers on Blaufränkisch, Austria's signature red variety; Eisenberg in the southeast produces structured, iron-inflected reds.

Though Burgenland built its reputation on red wines, white varieties thrive here as well. Grüner Veltliner and Weissburgunder (Pinot Blanc) develop fuller, riper expressions in this warm climate compared to cooler Austrian regions. Old vines—those approaching 40 years or more—yield concentrated fruit with greater complexity and depth. Natural and biodynamic winemaking has flourished in Burgenland, with estates like Gut Oggau, Claus Preisinger, and Meinklang establishing the region as a center for minimal intervention viticulture alongside its traditional strengths.

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