Graue Freyheit 2021 – full-bodied natural wine by Gernot Heinrich
Graue Freyheit 2021 by Gernot Heinrich, which owes its name to the 30% Pinot Gris content, is truly not a "gray mouse", because due to the skin-fermented Pinot Gris, its color is more like a rosé than a white wine, and it is also cloudy, as it was filled unfiltered into the clay bottle. Here, the winemaker simply wanted to be free to try something new, without being bound by conventions. The result is an excellent food companion with the scent of red berries, the delicate spice of black tea, with vibrant acidity, noticeable minerality and enormous richness. Unconventional and great!
Gernot Heinrich – Winemaking
Graue Freyheit brings together Pinot Gris, Chardonnay and Pinot Blanc, complemented by a small proportion of Neuburger. The Pinot Gris grows on the Joiser Hackelsberg, a northwest-facing slope away from Lake Neusiedl with slate and quartz slate soils. Chardonnay, Pinot Blanc and Neuburger mostly come from the top sites Breitenbrunner Edelgraben and Windener Alter Berg, i.e. from limestone and slate-rich eastern slopes of the Leitha Mountains. The vineyards are in transition to biodynamic cultivation.
The grapes, hand-picked from early to mid-September 2021, were allowed to ferment spontaneously and were left on the skins for 2 weeks before being gently pressed in a basket press. The Graue Freyheit underwent a natural malolactic fermentation, in which the more aggressive malic acid is converted into milder lactic acid. This brings typical notes and, above all, a pleasant creaminess to the wine, which was allowed to mature for a full 13 months on its natural lees in amphorae and in large, used oak barrels before being bottled unfiltered and without added sulfur in mid-November 2022. Shake before enjoying!
Graue Freyheit – a natural wine and its values
- Origin Natural wine from Austria
- Growing region Burgenland
- Grape varieties 35% Pinot Blanc, 30% Pinot Gris,
30% Chardonnay, 5% Neuburger
- Demeter certified
- Respekt biodyn wine
- vegan
- 12.5% Vol. Alcohol
- 6.3 g/l acidity
- 1.0 g/l residual sugar
Organic inspection body BIO-AT-402 – Austrian Agriculture