Weingut Heinrich 'Naked' White Weinland 2023

Gernot and Heike Heinrich were making a very different style of wine a few decades ago, winning awards and finding success with a more extracted style of wine that was in fashion. In 2006 they made the switch to Biodynamic farming, which was no small undertaking with their 80 hectares, but all the more important because of their size. Like their Burgenland neighbors at Meinklang, they are a model for scaling natural farming without sacrificing their beliefs. The Heinrich plots are still all worked by hand, in fact.

The 'Naked' white is a pretty fun example of a cloudy, funky-fresh Austrian wine, with some Brett and reduction on the nose but not enough to distract from the tangy, refreshing qualities. Zippy citrus notes give it a bright lift while salty undertones, gingerbread, and minerals provide contrast and complexity. 38% Pinot Blanc, 37% Chardonnay, 11% Pinot Gris, 8% Grüner Veltliner, 6% Welschriesling from a mix of soil types on the east and west sides of Lake Neusiedlersee, fermented with native yeasts, aged in old oak casks, and bottled unfiltered with a small amount of sulfur. Jonathan Kemp