Leo and Kathrin SOMMER

Donnerskirchen am Leithagebirge

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"We see ourselves as wine artisans. We pursue an ongoing dialogue with our vines.”

With our latest addition to the portfolio, we find ourselves drawn back to the Leithaberg once again. This rather gently shaped hill range seperates Lower Austria from the western shore of Lake Neusiedl in the northern Burgenland. While vineyards closer to the lake benefit from its richer soils and warmer microclimate, the plots along the forested slopes to the west present a striking contrast!

Scene: Donnerskirchen village. Here too, soil composition and conditions vary greatly from one Ried to the next. Reason for this is, as often the case, the Tethys, that ancient sea which flooded many a slope millions of years ago and left behind a solid layer of limestone. Higher situated sites like the Donnerskirchner Bergweingarten remained above water and kept free of calcareous influence. These firm, barren islands of slate are no less suited to producing heavenly white wines and complex Blaufränkisch!

Quite so, for several generations the Sommer family has been tending and caring for their parcels on the slopes above Donnerskirchen. And the next generation is really going at it! Leo Junior first attended viticulture school, then the Wine Academy, and added a degree in wine marketing before getting the chance to experiment for himself at the Laimburg Research Center in Südtirol, from whole bunch to sulphur-free vinification. After some formative internships abroad, Leo has taken over the family winery over the past few years, immidiately committing to organic certification. At his side is Kathrin, herself a former classmate from Eisenstadt, who found her way to wine rather through gastronomy. Born in Vienna, Kathrin grew up with the family's large fruit and vegetable garden. Its independent, nature-oriented, creative spirit drew her to tourism school. There, she fell under the spell of wine. Kathrin spent ten exciting years at Esterhazy before finding her way to the gardens of Donnerskirchen in 2023.

Kathrin and Leo, with their thoughtfully timeless approach and an insatiable curiosity, also like to busy themselves with one or two historic Pannonian grape varieties. Still, the leading role here clearly belongs to Grüner Veltliner. Some readers may still raise an eyebrow at what GV is doing in Burgenland. We say without a doubt that, over the past few decades, Burgenlands winemakers have well established the potential and quality for the grape in this diverse and fascinating region. Veltliner is simply one of the great terroir grapes of the world. Just: do not expect the fragrant, cheeky Weinviertler "Pfefferl" here!

The first sniff from our generously chilled glass of GV "Little Sister" takes us straight to the Chablis, that tiny wonderland of northern Burgundy famous for their elegant, cool and refined wines. The wine is thought to be the gateway to the flagship "Salz und Rauch", a bit of an understatement if you asked us. Much like Chardonnay, Veltliner growing on the more cool, barren corners of the world develops an alluring pale yellow fruit, fragrant florals, and a wave of citrus acidity. At Sommers, the young wine spends some time resting on full lees in a large, ancient acacia cask from Leos grandfather. There it finds a calm sense of balance and depth. But in the glass right now, it is alive and buzzing, the first sip hits like a small electric shock. On the finish, cured lemon clings to the palate, drying it out and urging you take another sip. Unique wine, from great terroir, made by wonderful people... what more could we ask.

RUNDOWN:

The Handwerk-Line. ("Craft" wine!)

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"Contemporary handcrafted wines with complex character. We let nature inspire us to create wines that are nuanced and structured. Minimal intervention, conceived with freedom."

“Little Sister” White

Grüner Veltliner, vinified puristically, the little sister of "Salz und Rauch". Thus, a selection of younger vines (some up to 30 years old), offering a cheekier, juicier wine. To our delight it retains the characteristic herbacousness and vibrant saline tension that we so appreciate from Sommer. There is a strong reminiscence to modern, low intervention Chablis and Sancerre. Not to be underestimated!

“Salz und Rauch” Grüner Veltliner

An ode to the Leithaberg. Let's keep things grounded: these are Sommer’s oldest vines in the Bergweingarten, around 2,000 of them, planted in 1969, so approaching 60 years of age. This means deep-rooted vines. On sparse slate rock, just below the Donnerskirchner Ried Himmelreich. Steep slopes, with an ideal southwest-facing orientation. In the cellar, Leo and Kathrin give the wine a minimal period of skin contact, drawing out the full intensity of aroma and structural depth from the tiny grapes of these old vines. For aging, an old acacia barrel from Grandpa does the job, holding 1,150 liters. Salz und Rauch rests on its full lees for a year, gets some time to breathe and find itself. And then it’s off, with serious tension!

The wine shoots straight to the back of the palate, triggering the salivary glands with a wave of salty lime, currants, sour green apple. Very finely green-spiced. The wine clings to the palate, cool, powerful. Initially reductive and smoky, almost like a volcanic island wine, this Veltliner opens up with an insane depth of flavour. There’s ripe yellow fruit, peach, honeydew melon. An intense, Meursault-reminiscent hazelnut note from the full lees, with just the finest touch of lacticity. Think Pischinger Haselnuss-Ecken.

What a fascinatingly fun wine this is, masterfully dancing between the greats of the wine world while once again cementing Grüner Veltliner as an absolute exceptional grape variety.

“Little Sister” Red

A little red in between. The counterpart to the Little Veltliner. Here we’re standing in an old field blend within the Riefring Thal. Blaufränkisch and Zweigelt grow higher up on the slope, further down there’s more Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot. Now, the idea behind this wine is above all one thing: lightness. Earlier picking. Zweigelt and Blaufränkisch are lightly crushed like a Rosé. The Bordeaux varieties are fermented semi-carbonically and pressed very gently. On the palate, the spice and depth we want from the Leithaberg remain. Without heaviness.

Riesling “Handwerk”

Expressive Riesling from slate. A selection of clones from Alsace and a few from Geisenheim. These berries are very small and concentrated. Consequently, they bring plenty of structure but not all that much fruit, while retaining stable acidity, ideal for the warmer parcels on the Leithaberg. The wine is aged on its full lees, partly in a large, ancient acacia barrel, partly in a concrete egg. In good years, some oak is used aswell.

On the palate, the wine shows tension, salinity and plenty of drive, with a pleasantly bright and fresh fruit profile. Lots of quince, peach, white currant.

Furmint “Handwerk”

Furmint has long proven itself as one of the most exciting grape varieties in the world right now. This super-late ripening grape has fascinated Leo and Kathrin for a long time. No wonder, considering the quality colleagues like Wenzel have been producing here for decades. So today, Furmint grows higher up the slope in the Ried Riefring Thal. These are not young vines however. God bless grafting, these are 25-year-old plants, with deep roots! On sparse but sufficiently warm slate, the “Chenin of the East” shows itself with depth, fullness and delicate reduction. Ripe, deep yellow, waxy and creamy, but at the same time full of tension and serious acid punch.

Note: A new plantation is growing on limestone in the Ried Halser. The 2024 is still single-site, but going forward these two are blended. The 2025 barrel sample is singing already!

Welschriesling “Handwerk”

In this bottling, the Sommers bring together their strongest Welschriesling parcels from the Bergweingarten (slate) and Halser (limestone). Old vines, planted by Grandpa. Aged in 500 to 600-liter barrels on the full lees, plus a little phenolic support.

On the palate, relentless freshness hits straight away, followed by a fuller, creamy lees texture and loads of citrus. Transparent and clear, but already with plenty of extract and depth. This is a seriously compelling Welsch!

Completing the lineup are three great classics from the Leithaberg.

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Ried Himmelreich | mica schist Ried Halser | leitha limestone

Ried Himmelreich Grüner Veltliner Leithaberg DAC

A reclaimed Subriede of the larger Bergweingarten vineyard, between Donnerskirchen and Purbach. A few steep steps up (another 100 meters), the Himmelreich, at 1.5 hectares, forms the little peak of this site, reaching 250 meters above sea level. Cool forest at our backs, sparse schist rock under our feet, we’re standing on a picture-perfect southeast-facing slope. Only Veltliner grows here. The vinification follows the identity of the site. Whole bunches, quickly and directly pressed, clear and precise. Aged in large Stockinger oak casks to keep oxidation low. No new oak. Himmelreich is steeper and more powerful, its grapes ripe and intensely yellow-fruited. At night, temperatures drop properly, retaining a tight acid backbone, with insane salinity.

Ried Halser Grüner Veltliner Leithaberg DAC

The Ried Halser lies just one kilometer northeast of Himmelreich, following the mountainside towards Purbach. Here, Donnerskirchen slate gives way to pure Leitha limestone. Veltliner dominates here too, with Blaufränkisch in the lower rows. The vines are 50 years old. Their berries are small, the bunche loose. In the cellar, there is minimal fermentation on the skins, to extract texture. The young wine then lands in used Stockinger, large casks of up to 1,700 liters. The wine takes on a fine cloak of structure. Once again, we get that cool Chablis reminiscence. This is probably the most precise, most delicate of the site wines, limestone through and through, with the concentration of old vines on top. Chapeau!

Blaufränkisch “Alte Reben” Leithaberg DAC

Quintessence! Over the years, lesser-quality fruit has been excluded from this cuvée. The old vines from the Bergweingarten, Wolfsbach and Halser vineyards remain. Limestone and schist, the full sprectrum of Leithaberg Blaufränkisch. Wild, dark, spicy, compelling, yet at the same time refreshing and juicy.

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