Christina - 'Orange' - Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, Welschriesling - Carnuntum, AT - 2024

Notes from the Winery/Importer

Winemaker’s note: “The white grapes love the perfect conditions of our ‘Pannonian’ climate with the deep and nutritious soils in combination with gravel on the top. As a result, they develop their very intensive and exotic aromatic with some nice acidity on the palate, due to the cooler influences of the River Danube during the nights.” Soil: Gravel and loess. Estate-owned and farmed by Christina’s family, certified organic. Grapes: Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, Welschriesling Vinification Method (2025): The grapes are hand-harvested, de-stemmed, and fermented spontaneously in contact with the skins for 21 days in open-topped stainless steel fermenters. Once pressed, the wine spends 4 months in old vats, amphoras and stainless steel on full lees. The wine is racked just once before being bottled unfined, unfiltered, with no sulfur added. Personality (winemaker’s note 2025): “Hints of herbs and earthiness at the beginning, with exotic yellow fruit developing perfectly in the glass. Exciting tannic structure accompanies the juicy fruit on the palate. This wine needs food with character and spice." -Jenny & Francois Imports

Notes on the Producer

About me I grew up with my sister at the mixed family-run farm of my parents and grandparents, cultivating different grains, corn, sugar beets, breeding pigs and growing some vines. Giving a helping hand almost everywhere on the farm, I fell in love with the wine production very early. I loved being in the vineyards, helping in the cellar and telling our customers the stories behind the wines. So, it was absolutely sure for me: I am getting a vintner! From a child’s age I was used to sourcing our food directly from our farm or the neighbourhood. My parents later focussed only on the wine growing and built up the winery to the 28 ha we now have. Growing up in the very „classic“ wine scene, I learned everything about wine production form my father by helping in the vineyards and the cellar. As I was fascinated about all the microbiological processes behind the scenes, I decided to gain more knowledge by studying oenology and wine-management. During studies I finished my internship at an importer in London where I got to know sooo many different wines and styles from all over the world, which I didn‘t know before. I was fascinated by the diversity of the big wine world and mainly impressed by organic produced wines from small producers all over the world. Being a very creative person, I really focused on finding the typical style of our very unique wine-growing region Carnuntum for our wines, when I started to work in the winery with my parents in 2007. During this time soil conditions, micro-climates and natural conditions in the vineyards got more and more important to me and my husband and so we decided to change to organic production in 2013 - also being influenced by raising our two daughters! We did a soft change to finally 100% organic vineyard management and organic production in the cellar 3 years later. We did the change just because of our own attitude and never thought about getting certified, but now we want to proof all this work and effort and therefore started certification process with the vintage 2018. Next to our Netzl-wines focussing on the typicity of our origin Carnuntum and due to so many experiments with soft impact vinification methods during the last 10 years, I fell in love with ancient production styles and therefore started the natural wine range offside the classic „Netzl-wines“ in 2015.

Grapes & Style

Chardonnay

Chardonnay is one of the great white grapes of Burgundy, and one of the most widely planted wine grapes in the world. It has a long history in eastern France, especially Burgundy and Champagne, and DNA work shows it as part of the same broad Pinot and Gouais Blanc family that gave us grapes like Gamay and Aligoté. It’s adaptable, easy enough to grow in many places, and capable of producing everything from simple everyday whites to some of the most ageworthy white wines in the world.

In the vineyard, Chardonnay buds and ripens relatively early, which makes it useful in cooler climates but vulnerable to spring frost. It tends to do especially well on limestone and calcareous clay, and its relatively neutral fruit profile gives site and cellar choices a lot of room to show. Malolactic fermentation, lees aging, barrel fermentation, and oak can all shape the final wine dramatically.

In the glass, Chardonnay can be lean, saline, and citrus-driven, or broad, textured, and orchard-fruited, depending on where it’s grown and how it’s made. Chablis shows the steely, high-acid side; the Côte de Beaune shows depth, texture, and savory complexity; Champagne shows its value as a sparkling-wine base. Good Chardonnay is less about one fixed flavor than about balance, texture, and the way it carries place.

Sauvignon Blanc

Sauvignon Blanc is one of the world’s most recognizable white grapes, with deep roots in the Loire and Bordeaux. In the Loire, it’s the grape of Sancerre, Pouilly-Fumé, and Touraine; in Bordeaux, it often works with Sémillon to make both dry whites and great sweet wines. It has also become a major international variety, especially in New Zealand, California, Chile, South Africa, and Austria.

In the vineyard, Sauvignon Blanc is aromatic and expressive, often marked by high acidity and a strong sensitivity to climate. Cooler sites bring out citrus, green herbs, grass, and mineral tones; warmer sites push toward tropical fruit and broader texture. It’s usually at its best when freshness is protected and the aromatics stay precise.

In the glass, Sauvignon Blanc tends to be vivid, high-toned, and refreshing. Depending on place and style, it can taste of lime, grapefruit, passion fruit, gooseberry, cut grass, herbs, smoke, or wet stone. Good Sauvignon Blanc doesn’t need to be loud — the best versions balance brightness with texture and leave a clean, savory snap.

Welschriesling

Welschriesling is a Central and Eastern European white grape, unrelated to true Riesling despite the name. It’s grown in Austria, Hungary, Croatia, Slovenia, and neighboring regions, where it can make dry whites, sparkling wines, and sometimes sweet wines.

In the vineyard, Welschriesling is valued for its acidity and reliability. It often makes light, fresh wines, but in good sites or with botrytis it can take on more concentration and complexity.

In the glass, Welschriesling often shows green apple, lemon, pear, white flowers, herbs, and a crisp mineral edge. The best dry versions are brisk and clean; the best sweet versions use the grape’s acidity to keep richness lifted.