Brundlmayer

Having as much as any other grower, save perhaps Alois Kracher, served since the mid-1990s as the face of Austrian wine abroad, Willi Bründlmayer, who in 1980 assumed control of his family’s estate, scarcely requires an introduction. Among the less known of many remarkable aspects to his work is the consistently high quality he achieves from an enormous acreage. DAVID SCHILDKNECHT, Vinous

The thing about this estate is that outside of the Wachau, this is probably the No 1 domaine in all of Austria. If you are to believe Andreas Larsson, the World Champion sommelier for 2007 – Bründlmayer is in fact THE top Austrian producer of them all. However you look at it, this is another one of the world’s top white wine growers. The Kamptal is not really that far away from the Wachau or Kremstal but it does throw up a whole different terroir/wine style mix. Grüner Veltliner and Riesling are still kings; but there are no Federspiel/Smaragd categories, as it’s a different GI. Weingut Bründlmayer is situated in Langenlois, some 70 km north- west of Vienna, upstream along the Danube in the Lower Austrian Kamp Valley. The wooded hills of the Waldviertel protect the vineyards from the cold north-westerly winds. During the day, the sun warms the stony terraces, while at night the fresh, fragrant forest air drifts through the Kamp Valley into the Langenloiser Arena. These wines are dry, mineral, powerful and well balanced. And not so expensive, at least compared to their Wachau neighbours. PATRICK WALSH