Kalk & Schiefer Cuvée Weiss 2023

Wine description for Kalk & Schiefer Cuvée Weiss 2023 by Nittnaus Anita & Hans

Colour & appearance

Pale straw yellow with fine green reflections – clear, cool and youthful in the glass.

Nose

Initially a delicate reduction, behind which the ethereal fruit of the schist emerges, grounded by chalky minerality. Yellow stone fruit – small peaches – and fine pome fruit are present but by no means dominant. Framed by spice, the nose speaks more of origin and soil than of fruit.

Palate

Underpinned by herbal spice, cool and taut. Rather than excessive fruit, a chalk-driven minerality convinces with a slightly saline pull and good grip. Dry, lean at 12.5% alcohol – a joyful refresher with structure.

Finish

Saline and mineral, with persistent grip and a cool, stony length that leaves the palate clean and alert.

Terroir & origin

The grapes come from various vineyard sites around Jois, at the northern end of the Leithaberg. Limestone and schist soils define this part of Burgenland and lend the wine its cool, stony signature. The Nittnaus estate cultivates here – alongside the warm Heideboden sites around Gols – the cooler half of its 36 hectares; in family hands since 1684, farmed biodynamically since 2007.

Grape varieties & vinification

Cuvée of Weißburgunder (65%), Grüner Veltliner (15%), Welschriesling (15%) and Chardonnay (5%). The grapes are harvested by hand; in the cellar, the estate favours gentle guidance over intervention.

Food recommendations

A versatile food wine: with Wiener Schnitzel of veal, trout with almond butter, asparagus with hollandaise sauce or an asparagus risotto. Also a safe bet with sushi, steamed vegetables or a simple chicken fricassee.

Special characteristics

What distinguishes this wine is its honest terroir expression: it smells and tastes of limestone and schist, not of varietal perfume. The combination of Weißburgunder’s richness, Veltliner’s spice and Welschriesling’s freshness yields a Burgenland white wine of unusual coolness and mineral clarity – the signature of a family that does not make the wine, but allows it to grow.