One Vintage, Two Worlds – Visiting the Kroiss Family

Another year has passed. The new vintage is already in bottle. True to good neighbourly spirit, the Kroiss family once again invited us to present their latest release.

As always, we gladly accepted. The day already promised to be perfect from the very start – sunshine, pleasant temperatures, nothing that could possibly keep me away from my favourite winery in Vienna.

The welcome was, as expected, warm and genuine. Before I even had the chance to put my things down, there was already a glass in my hand. Last year I arrived a bit unprepared and didn’t manage to taste as many wines from the Illmitz side of the family, run by Julia’s brother Andreas.

The family’s roots stretch between Vienna and Illmitz. Julia represents Vienna, Andreas takes care of Illmitz.

A few words about Illmitz: soils are mainly sandy and calcareous, with occasional brown earth. The proximity of water helps balance temperature fluctuations. For those familiar with Heideboden, this gives a clear idea of what to expect: vibrant acidity, refreshing minerality and often a subtle saline edge.

Andi’s opening wine is a Heideboden Weiß – delivering exactly what it should: freshness, lively acidity and a clean mineral backbone. Citrus notes run through the wine from nose to finish. A perfect match for warm summer days.
One wine I absolutely had to taste – although I eventually went through the full range – was the Sauvignon Blanc. Julia’s Sauvignon Blanc has long been one of my personal favourites, so a comparison was inevitable. It almost feels as if the current generation of the Kroiss family grew up hearing about Sauvignon Blanc instead of bedtime stories. The floral, fruit-driven style is exactly how I like it.

What also stood out were the single-vineyard Chardonnays: Ried Lüss and Ried Domkapitel. Same grape, completely different paths in the cellar.
Ried Lüss: hand-picked grapes, gently pressed as whole bunches, with the must transferred directly into used barriques for fermentation. Ten months on full lees with malolactic fermentation.
Ried Domkapitel: hand harvest, two weeks of skin contact in stainless steel, followed by 18 months in barrique, again in used barrels.

Red wines naturally play an important role as well. Andreas produces a broader range here than Julia – Burgenland has a strong reputation for reds. There’s even a theory floating around that “everything is divided”: Weinviertel for whites, Burgenland for reds. Up to you to decide.

My clear favourite among the reds was the Trialog. Cabernet Sauvignon, Blaufränkisch and Merlot are harvested and vinified separately. After two weeks of maceration, each variety is aged in small oak barrels (20% new oak). After a year, the wines are tasted and blended, then aged for another year. The result: ripe dark berries, cassis, blueberry and jostaberry, layered with herbal spice, depth and elegance. Precise, juicy and persistent on the palate.

We also tasted the sweet wines – beautifully balanced between acidity and sugar. Sweet, yet never heavy. You immediately find yourself reaching for another sip.

After a short break – with some water and Erika’s excellent sandwiches – we moved on to the Vienna wines. A bit of alcohol helps dissolve language barriers, making it easier to connect with people around you. Conversations flowed naturally, about wine, about life, or simply revisiting connections made during past harvests.

Julia’s first wine was Grüner Veltliner. The entry point of the portfolio, yet one of its strongest expressions. It has, in a way, permanently shaped my expectations of Grüner Veltliner. If I remember correctly, my very first encounter included a Gemischter Satz followed by this Grüner Veltliner. Those wines set the bar for me rather high for Austrian wines in general.

As for the Sauvignon Blanc – I’ll keep it short. We can never order enough of it, and from what I’ve seen, it’s even listed in Michelin-starred restaurants.

A real surprise was the Grüner Veltliner Ried Neuberg – firmly in the “great wine” category: ripe, powerful, dense, with apple and pear fruit, hints of greengage, a touch of dark berries, mineral notes and fine herbal spice, all carried with elegance.

The Gemischter Satz Ried Hackenberg 1ÖTW had already been tasted earlier with Roland, straight from the tank. He was visibly proud – and I happened to be in the right place at the right time. Its complexity was striking then, and it was a pleasure to revisit it now.

Julia’s only red is the Zweigelt Ried Hackenberg – a textbook example of the variety: structured, dense, with ripe dark cherry fruit, subtle spice and a harmonious profile, still youthful but already well composed.

Julia’s wines are a regular feature at our Riesling tastings, and her Sauvignon Blanc remains a clear favourite in our shop.
It’s also great to see the new vintage of Riesling Alte Reben already available. The Sauvignon Blanc will take a little more time, but we’ll make sure to let you know as soon as it arrives.

Thank you for the invitation and the consistently warm hospitality.