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Wine Success Stories

Zweigelt hits the big time

by Bettina Bäck

New ratings from James Suckling and Jancis Robinson have propelled winemakers from Austria’s Carnuntum region to achieve what once seemed like an impossible feat – taking the indigenous red Zweigelt variety to the top of the world.

Stuart Pigott's tasting results on www.jamessuckling.com are a sensation: for the first time, the Zweigelt variety asserted itself in the absolute top field with no less than nine ratings between 91 and 94 points. What they all have in common is their origin: Carnuntum in the east of Austria. 

Zweigelt is the most cultivated red variety in Austria, at just over 6,000 hectares (equating to 13.6% of Austria's total vineyard area), but the highest honours have rarely been bestowed upon Blauer Zweigelt. However, in many areas of Austria, this crossing of Blaufränkisch and St. Laurent is also not treated with the same ambition and respect as in Carnuntum, where prime sites, old vines and sensitive vinification provide convincing proof of the variety’s potential.   

94 points for Gerhard Markowitsch

The Markowitsch Zweigelt Ried Kirchweingarten 2021 1ÖTW from the acclaimed Göttlesbrunn winemaker moved critic Stuart Pigott to hymns of praise and a sensational 94 points. He describes it as achieving "greatness thanks to its rare aromatic complexity and silkiness”, adding that it has very good aging potential. The 1.2-hectare ÖTW Erste Lage (Premier Cru), located right under the Höflein church, offers perfect conditions for an exceptional Zweigelt due to its slightly sloping, south-western exposure and its high clay content. 

The Zweigelt whisperers: Gerhard Markowitsch and his daughter Johanna
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"Zweigelt has the potential to balance power and elegance."

Gerhard Markowitsch

Julia Harding MW from jancisrobinson.com confirms with her assessment that the Zweigelt Ried Kirchweingarten 2021 1ÖTW is a "fabulous" representative of the variety. Markowitsch's wine is awarded 18 out of 20 points and Harding describes it as "all elegance and finesse"

Perfect partner

In addition to Carnuntum’s single-varietal Zweigelt wines, cuvées with Zweigelt participation also shone, with a total of seven receiving outstanding ratings. And here, too, it is Gerhard Markowitsch who provides the best rated wine with 94 points for the Ried Rosenberg 2021 1ÖTW. Stuart Pigott describes the cuvée of Zweigelt (55%), Merlot (30%) and Blaufränkisch (15%) as "full-bodied yet elegant and agile".  

"Zweigelt tip" by James Suckling

As mentioned, Carnuntum vintners received a total of nine excellent ratings for the Zweigelt variety. In addition to Gerhard Markowitsch, Lukas Markowitsch, Martin Netzl, Payr, Artner, Glatzer, Gottschuly-Grassl and Philipp Grassl can also be pleased about their excellent Zweigelt ratings.  

94 Points 

2021 

Weingut Gerhard Markowitsch 

Zweigelt 

Ried Kirchweingarten  

93 Points 

2021 

Weingut Lukas Markowitsch 

Zweigelt 

Ried Haidacker 

93 Points

2021 

Weingut Martin Netzl 

Zweigelt 

Ried Haidacker 

93 Points 

2021 

Weingut Payr 

Zweigelt 

Ried Steinäcker 

92 Points

2021 

Weingut Artner 

Zweigelt 

Ried Steinäcker 

92 Points

2021 

Weingut Glatzer 

Zweigelt 

Ried Haidacker 

92 Points

2021 

Weingut Gottschuly-Grassl 

Zweigelt 

Ried Aubühl 

91 Points 

2021 

Weingut Artner 

Zweigelt 

Rubin Carnuntum 

91 Points

2021 

Weingut Grassl 

Zweigelt 

Ried Schüttenberg 

 

Top-Cuvées with Zweigelt 

94  Points

2021 

Weingut Gerhard Markowitsch 

ZW + BF + M 

Ried Rosenberg 

93 Points

2021 

Weingut Glatzer 

ZW + BF + M 

Ried Rosenberg 

93 Points 

2021 

Weingut Martin Netzl 

ZW + BF + M 

Ried Rosenberg 

92 Points 

2020 

Weingut Artner 

ZW + BF + M 

Höflein Rot (formerly Cuvée Barrique) 

92 Points 

2021 

Weingut Gerhard Markowitsch 

ZW + BF + M 

Göttlesbrunn Rot (formerly Redmont) 

91 Points 

2021 

Weingut Pitnauer 

ZW + SL + M 

Classic 

91 Points

2021 

Weingut Artner 

ZW + BF 

Ried Aubühl 

91 Points 

2021 

Weingut Grassl 

ZW + BF + M 

Ried Bärnreiser 

Carnuntum and Zweigelt – a success story

Throughout Austria, Zweigelt ranks first in terms of red wine vineyard area. In Carnuntum, too, Zweigelt is the most planted grape variety. Rotburger, as the home-grown variety is also called, began its triumphal march in the 1970s. In 1985 it finally replaced Blauer Portugieser (known as Português Azul in Portugal) in first place as Austria's most planted red grape variety. 

The success, tradition and identity of the Carnuntum wine region are closely linked to the Zweigelt variety. As pioneers and visionaries, the Rubin Carnuntum association, founded in 1992, accompanied Zweigelt’s rise to an internationally sought-after grape variety. Today, every sixth red wine bottle from Carnuntum is a Rubin Carnuntum and thus a Zweigelt typical of the region. It is considered the calling card of the region, and Carnuntum Zweigelt is also an export hit that is particularly popular with Austria’s neighbours, Germany and Switzerland.  

Robert Payr, President of Rubin Carnuntum wineries, sees the Zweigelt grape variety as the identity of the region.
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"Rubin Carnuntum belongs to Carnuntum like the Eiffel Tower to Paris and the Statue of Liberty to New York."  

Robert Payr, Rubin Carnuntum President

Until the 2000s, Zweigelt was predominantly considered a cuvée partner and its main USP was its high yield. To help change that image and realise the potential of the grape variety in the region, a separate Zweigelt working group was founded in Carnuntum in 2006. Part of the new awareness of Zweigelt was to vinify it as a single variety, vinify old vines separately and test different vinification methods. Above all, the group tasted, judged and discussed a lot together.    

"The collaboration between all the Rubin wineries and the common search for excellence have given us a lot of impetus as a territory and motivated us to take on whole new ventures", explains Gerhard Markowitsch.  

The trend towards fresher wines, cooler aromas and individual expression in red wines was recognised by the "Zweigelt whisperers" from Carnuntum before it became an international trend. As an early ripening variety, Zweigelt finds the best conditions in the continental climate of Carnuntum and therefore scores with a special liveliness, complex expression and "pithy" style. In all stages of its development and maturation, Zweigelt from Carnuntum knows how to surprise and shows it also has potential when it comes to ageing. When it comes to food pairing, it is considered an all-rounder, matching everything from Italian classics to game. Slightly chilled, it comes into its own in barbecue season, and mature Zweigelt even goes well with fish dishes thanks to its silky tannins and freshness. No matter which Zweigelt from Carnuntum you choose, two things are always guaranteed: drinking pleasure and a great price-performance ratio.  

Star performer 

With the latest Suckling ratings, Zweigelt, long considered a hidden talent, has made the leap onto the main wine stage and can thus be described as a star performer - both as a solo artist and in duet with other grape varieties in the form of cuvées. Last, but not least, this once again confirms Austria's march towards being a promising red wine nation.  

Media contact: 

Wine+Partners

Bettina Bäck, +43 664 1507282, [email protected]  

Casiana Sirbu, +43 660 1129867, [email protected]  

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About Rubin Carnuntum Weingüter

The Rubin Carnuntum Weingüter represent 37 winegrowers from Austria's Carnuntum winegrowing region. The group, originally founded in 1986, spent the following decades laboriously profiling the remarkable geological and climatic elements of their region. Those efforts crystallized in 2019 into an official Carnuntum DAC. One year earlier, in 2018, twenty members of the Rubin Carnuntum Weingüter joined the Österreichische Traditionsweingütern (ÖTW) as a group.

Rubin Carnuntum Weingüter
Fischamender Straße 12/3
2460 Bruck an der Leitha

Rubin Carnuntum Weingüter

Bettina Bäck von Wine+Partners
Bettina Bäck
Senior Project Manager

Bettina has been with Wine+Partners since 2002, with countless projects domestic and international under her belt. She currently manages sommelier world champion Marc Almert, the culinary think tank Koch.Campus, the Styrian wineries Weingut Muster.Gamlitz, Weingut Langmann and the STK wineries, the culinary concept store Kärntnerei and the Kozlović wine estate in Istria.