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The Esterhazy name has always been closely connected to today’s “Leithaberg DAC” wine region. As one of Burgenland’s historic wine estates, Esterhazy boasts a long winemaking tradition – the year 1758 on the estate’s logo refers to the family’s oldest cellar records.
Winegrowing has been in the genes of the House of Esterházy for more than 250 years, and it has evolved to today‘s standard with the opening in 2006 of the new winery, with its state of the art equipment and presentation rooms near Eisenstadt. In order to arrive at our desired wine style, the quality of the grapes is of utmost importance. For this reason, we have been implementing organic farming practices in the vineyards since 2019. In 2023 we will receive our official certification
The official appellation “Leithaberg DAC” may still be in its infancy, but the potential of its outstanding vineyard sites and grape varieties has long been anchored in the canon of Burgenlandian and Austrian wines. All the wine estate’s vineyards (currently 52 ha of fruit-bearing vines) are situated within the DAC region. The “Leithakalk”, a unique regional marine limestone, lends minerality and structure to the wines. Our vineyards are situated in six different wine districts: Grosshöflein, Sankt Georgen, Rust, Sankt Margarethen, Eisenstadt and Oslip. This provides us with a broad selection of soils and microclimates.
Organic Vineyard Management
Föllikberg lies at 200 to 210 meters above sea level, facing southeast with a slight slope of 2 to 3%.
Facing in a southeast direction, this vineyard receives plenty of morning sun and very little sun in the evening. Photosynthesis begins early in the morning and morning dew is dried quickly on the vines. The intensity of sunlight decreases significantly in the afternoon which reduces heat stress in midsummer.
The topsoil consists of a humus-rich clay loam, adding power to the wines. The subsoil is composed of weathered limestone and loess. This coarse subsoil delivers soft, elegant wines.
Lamer is one of the highest locations on the hills around Rust at about 200 meters above sea level. The higher lying plateau has a mild slope of 1%, facing in a south-easterly direction. The wind is much stronger in this exposed location than in lower lying sites.
As a result, the grapes are well aerated and the risk of rot is very low. The neighbouring Margarethen community forest serves to cool temperatures down in the evenings. This cooler climate is ideal for white wines, rich in finesse.
The soil consists of weathered mica slate and is predominantly free of lime. The name Lamer is derived from the topsoil, which consists of a thin layer of clay. This special soil composition produces wines with lots of freshness and subtle, smoky minerality.
This pristine site was first mentioned in 1570 under the name "Schildt Huet", and has been owned by Esterhazy since 1641. The name Schildten is derived from its peculiar shape: uphill it gets wider and wider, before converging again at the end - in the shape of a shield. The site faces south-south-east at an altitude of 175 to 200 meters above sea level, with a gradient of 9 to 10%.
These factors ensure optimal exposure to sunlight during the day, while being cooled down by downward drafts from the forests in the evening. This ensures ideal ripening conditions during the day and perfect aroma storage at night.
The soil consists of sparse brown earth, interspersed with limestone. The lime content is extremely high, delivering wines with a tight structure, carried by minerality rather than exuberant fruit.
Esterhazy has owned the Schneiderteil site since 1778. The linguistic origin of the name can no longer be traced. It is a single vineyard site within the larger site called Kogl. Located above St. Georgen, this vineyard faces south and extends from 190 to 215 meters above sea level with a slope of 8 to 10%. The soil warms up very quickly during the day, which is why this historic white wine site was converted to a red wine site as early as 1997.
Due to the bordering forest above, the site is rapidly cooled during the night by drafts descending from the forest. This results in large day and night temperature differences. Cool nights store aromatic substances, while hot temperatures during the day ensure optimal ripeness.
These sparse soils have a high lime content of 40 to 60%. This is perfect for Merlot, which produces perfect grapes on soils with high lime content. The lime delivers tight acidity, which perfectly balances these full-bodied wines
