Muscat Freyheit – 2019

Muscat Freyheit natural wine in a clay bottle from Gernot Heinrich

The 2019 Muscat Freyheit from Gernot Heinrich is a skin-fermented orange wine made from Muskat Ottonel and Pinot Blanc, aged in the fired clay of an amphora. It is not the fragrant, sweet Muscat that the grape variety might suggest, but rather a dry, hazy natural wine with a tart edge.

Muscat Freyheit is the aromatic orange wine from the Gernot Heinrich winery in Gols, Burgenland, Austria, where Muskat Ottonel and Pinot Blanc come together. The Muskat Ottonel grapes take root in the sandy, gravelly loam on the southern slopes of the Parndorfer Platte. The Pinot Blanc comes from the lime- and slate-rich eastern slopes of the Leitha Mountains, from the Breitenbrunn Edelgraben and the Winden Alter Berg vineyards. With 12.5 percent alcohol, the 2019 vintage carries its strength without any heaviness.

A tapestry of aromas featuring kumquat and fresh coriander

A tropical fruit profile rises from the glass first—kumquat and sharon fruit—followed by the sweet and tart peel of a grapefruit and a green touch of coriander.

Behind this lie notes of wheatgrass and fennel seeds, the vegetal side that one would hardly expect from this grape variety. On the palate, it remains dry yet creamy, because the tannins from the skins drive the drinkability instead of slowing it down. The haze is part of it, as the wine is bottled unfiltered and will develop sediment over time.

It is bottled in a clay bottle, which blocks light and keeps the contents cool for longer. Because it is opaque, you won't know what color awaits you until you pour it. A gentle rotation of the bottle beforehand brings the yeast back into the wine.

Hand-harvested, basket-pressed, and aged in amphorae

The grapes were harvested by hand between the end of August and the beginning of September 2019. Afterward, the must was allowed to ferment spontaneously, using only the yeasts from the vineyard.

The berries remained on the skins for twelve days before being gently pressed in a basket press. The coppery color and the tannins of this wine come from this maceration period. Malolactic fermentation occurred naturally, rounding out the wine in the middle.

It then matured for 13 months on its own lees in the amphora. The fired clay contributes neither wood nor vanilla, allowing the wine to remain entirely true to itself. It was bottled unfiltered and without the addition of sulfur at the end of November 2020, at a time when the vineyards were in the process of converting to biodynamic farming.

Roasted dishes, greens, and ripe goat cheese

Seared scallops pair well with it, as their sweetness counteracts the tannins, allowing the tropical fruit of the wine to shine through.

A green curry with plenty of coriander picks up on the vegetal thread, while a ripe goat cheese with its chalky texture stands up to the creaminess. It shouldn't be served too cold, as the fragrance—which is half the experience with this wine—disappears below ten degrees.

The Muscat Freyheit 2022, which spent less time in the amphora, shows how the same wine tastes with a few years less under its belt. Further skin-fermented bottles can be found in our Orange Wine collection, and those who prefer things clearer will find the filtered alternative in our White Wine section.

Muscat Freyheit – a natural wine and its values

• Origin: Natural wine from Austria
• Grape varieties: 80% Muskat Ottonel, 20% Pinot Blanc
• 12.5% ABV
• 5.3 g/l acidity
• 1.0 g/l residual sugar
• Bottled: End of November 2020

Organic certification body AT-BIO-402 – Austrian Agriculture