JOHANNES ZILLINGER
AUSTRIA | WEINVIERTEL
Picture mother nature left in peace to do her own thing: Yes, that exists! In Velm-Götzendorf, now for more than 30 years, the biodynamic vineyard of the Zillinger family - first ran by Hans and now his son, Johannes - is an exceptional example of what ‘natural’ truly means. From home-made compost, to growing their herbs, they are guided by strong principles of biodynamic agriculture..
Johannes believes in letting nature going its own way. To help this process he aims to interfere in both vineyard and the cellar as little as possible. In his own words "if you work on healthy soil in the vineyard, you get healthy vines, which produce more exciting wines. And most of all, if you let the good things simply take their course in the cellar."
Zillinger’s wines are quintessentially nature’s magic inside a bottle.
A vibrant and expressive blend led by Riesling, with Grüner Veltliner adding structure and Muskateller bringing a perfumed lift. Bursting with citrus peel, ripe pear and lychee, it’s floral and zesty with a gentle grip and a hint of spice. A whisper of petrol adds depth to the juicy, mouthwatering finish. Textural, aromatic and effortlessly drinkable – a natural wine with serious charm.
Winemaker | Johannes Zillinger
Region | Weinvertel, Austria
Variety | Riesling, Grüner Veltliner, Muskateller
Viticulture | Biodynamic
Soil | Loam, loess and limestone
Altitude | 150 m
Age of the vines | 5 - 55 years
Bottles made | 15000 bottles
Vinification
A natural blend from biodynamic vineyards around Velm-Götzendorf, named after the village’s historic name "Velue." Grapes are hand-harvested and gently selected. The Riesling spends one day on skins, adding texture and phenolic grip, while Grüner Veltliner is direct-pressed for clarity and freshness. Muskateller sees just five hours on skins and stems, enhancing aromatics without overpowering the blend.
Fermentation is entirely spontaneous in stainless steel at 21–24 °C, preserving the wine’s purity and sense of place. Malolactic fermentation also occurs naturally, softening acidity and contributing roundness. The wine matures for a full year on its full lees with occasional bâtonnage, building texture, depth and subtle complexity while maintaining a clean, vibrant profile. Unfiltered, unadulterated, and crafted with precision.
2024 is a touch more linear, fresher style compared to 2023 - with riesling being more dominant
Lime and Jasmin engage the nose elegantly yet playful before light creamy and biscuity aromas entertain the palate with white-fleshed peach and pears. The lightest key lime pie you will ever have. #lifehack 😉
Winemaker | Johannes Zillinger
Region | Weinvertel, Austria
Variety | Chardonnay 50%, Scheurebe 25%, Riesling 25%
Viticulture | Organic
Soil | Loess and limestone
Altitude | 150 m
Age of the vines | 20 - 35 years
Bottles made | 3000 bottles
Vinification
The aim behind this wine was to create a wine that is consistent in taste and structure throughout the vintages. The character is provided by a Solera system, which has been built with the Riesling variety since 2013. 50% Chardonnay (whole berry fermented in 500L oak and amphora, then gently pressed and left alone in a steel tank for 10 months) + 25% Scheurebe (short skin maceration) + 25% Riesling (Solera system from the vintages 2013 -2018) bottled unfiltered, unfined without the edition of sulphur
A Sauvignon Blanc, reminiscent of the grand wines of the Silex soils of the Loire Valley. Intense minerality, depth and elegance. Lightly herbal, lemon peel and nectarine are interwoven to a lingering expression of this grape.
Winemaker | Johannes Zillinger
Region | Weinvertel, Austria
Variety | Sauvignon Blanc
Viticulture | Biodynamic
Soil | Loess and limestone - Steinthal
Altitude | 150 m
Age of the vines | 30 years
Bottles made | 800 bottles
Vinification
Numen refers to a metaphysical action that man can not influence. Accordingly, this wine is made completely without intervention. The idea was to let a wine "emerge" give it the necessary time and use the full potential of the old vines. The Numen-Fumé blanc was fermented in amphora with whole berries for a few days, then gently pressed, aged for over a year on the lees without sulphites and bottled unfiltered.
Aromatic nose packed with generous stone fruit, mango and litchi with a hint of yellow flower notes and honeysuckle. Refreshing minerality breaks through the multilayered luscious viscosity on the pallet. Fascinating dreamy depth and elegance like a Tchaikovsky ballet.
Winemaker | Johannes Zillinger
Region | Weinviertel, Austria
Variety | Muskateller
Viticulture | Biodynamic (Demeter certified)
Soil | Loess and limestone - Steinthal
Altitude | 150 m
Age of the vines | 40 years
Bottles made | 1200 bottles
Vinification
Numen refers to a metaphysical action that man can not influence. Accordingly, this wine is made completely without intervention. The idea was to let a wine "emerge" give it the necessary time and use the full potential of the old vines. The wine was fermented in amphora with whole bunches for a few days, then gently pressed by hand and aged for 16 months on the lees. Bottled without sulphites, fining or filtration.
Green apple, stone fruit, spicy white pepper with a hint of herbaceous notes. Refreshing minerality breaks through the multilayered luscious viscosity on the pallet. Astonishing depth and elegance on the finish.
Winemaker | Johannes Zillinger
Region | Weinviertel, Austria
Variety | Gruner Veltliner
Viticulture | Biodynamic (Demeter certified)
Soil | Loess and limestone - Steinthal
Altitude | 150 m
Age of the vines | 40 years
Bottles made | 800 bottles
Vinification
Numen refers to a metaphysical action that man can not influence. Accordingly, this wine is made completely without intervention. The idea was to let a wine "emerge" give it the necessary time and use the full potential of the old vines. The wine was fermented in amphora with whole bunches for a few days, then gently pressed by hand and aged for 16 months on the lees. Bottled without sulphites, fining or filtration.
2015 was a hot and dry vintage, resulting in wines with bigger body. Balanced year in terms of rainfall lowered the yield, as a result the finished wines are more concentrated and have longer finish.
A wine of profound stillness and rare intent, Perpetuum 2021 stands as Johannes Zillinger’s personal Mona Lisa — a cuvée he describes as saving Sauvignon Blanc from his oldest, most treasured plots. It is not made every year. It is not forced into existence. It simply emerges when nature allows.
Sourced from centenarian vines rooted in loess and limestone in the Steinthal, this is Sauvignon Blanc stripped of artifice and elevated into something far beyond varietal expression. There is a quiet echo of the great Silex wines of the Loire, but here it is reinterpreted through an Austrian lens of restraint, precision and depth.
The nose is intensely refined yet expansive, unfolding in layers of crushed citrus peel, ripe nectarine and subtle gooseberry, interwoven with flint, wild herbs and a faint smoky reduction that speaks of ancient soils. With air, it gains further dimension — waxy textures, dried herbs and a mineral resonance that feels almost architectural.
On the palate, the wine is both weightless and monumental. There is a deep, almost silent concentration of fruit, carried by a line of vibrant acidity and an underlying mineral tension that never releases its grip. Everything is in balance, yet nothing feels static — the wine moves, breathes and evolves in the glass.
Aged for two years under floor in old barrels, untouched by intervention, it develops an extraordinary inner complexity — not from winemaking decisions, but from time itself. There is no manipulation here, only patience, observation and trust in the vineyard’s oldest voices.
The finish is endless, saline and etched with stone-like clarity, leaving behind a sensation of calm power and precision.
A truly rare Sauvignon Blanc — contemplative, elemental, and among the most profound expressions of the variety in Europe.
Winemaker | Johannes Zillinger
Region | Weinvertel, Austria
Variety | Sauvignon Blanc
Style | White
Viticulture | Biodynamic
Soil | Loess and limestone - Steinthal
Altitude | 150 m
Age of the vines | 100 years
Bottles made | 600 bottles
Vinification
Perpetuum was direct pressed and fermented and aged in oak barrels for over two years on the lees under floor without sulphites and bottled unfiltered.
Fresh strawberry salad with sesame seed ice cream packed inside the bottle. Kick your shoes, lay down and enjoy the sunshine.
Winemaker | Johannes Zillinger
Region | Weinvertel, Austria
Variety | Rösler, Syrah, St.Laurent
Viticulture | Biodynamic
Soil | Loess and limestone - Haidthal and Sonnberg
Altitude | 150 m
Age of the vines | 25 years
Bottles made | 3000 bottles
Vinification
All three grape varieties ferment and age separately and are blended at bottling. Half of the Rösler grapes are kept in whole bunches and half are destemmed and pressed straight away. The Syrah is gently destemmed and soaked for two days before pressing. The St.Laurent is fermented and aged in amphora for 12 months. The different vintages of St.Laurent are matured in steel tank in a solera system.
Bright, fresh and bursting with primary fruit, this juicy blend is all about vibrancy. Think crunchy red plum, tangy raspberry and wild berries, lifted by floral notes and a lively, mouthwatering zing. There's a subtle line of black pepper and spice in the background, adding a gentle kick beneath the fruit. Light on its feet, with soft tannins and pure, clean energy—an easy-drinking red that overdelivers on freshness and charm.
Winemaker | Johannes Zillinger
Region | Weinvertel, Austria
Variety | Zweigelt, Merlot
Viticulture | Biodynamic
Soil | Loess and limestone - Haidthal and Sonnberg
Altitude | 150 m
Age of the vines | 25 years
Bottles made | 8000 bottles
Vinification
Made from 80% Zweigelt and 20% Merlot grown biodynamically on loess and limestone soils in the Haidthal and Sonnberg vineyards. Grapes are hand-harvested and sorted with care. The Zweigelt is destemmed and undergoes 4 days of spontaneous fermentation, extracting vivid colour and fine tannins. Merlot is partially whole-bunch fermented for 5 days, contributing lift, floral tones and a hint of spice. The wine is then aged for 16 months in a combination of large oak barrels and stainless steel, preserving freshness while adding subtle depth. Unfined, unfiltered and naturally expressive.
Delicate yet profound, this blend of Cabernet Franc and Syrah is a study in finesse. Bright red cherry, tangy raspberry and crunchy cranberry give an immediate sense of vibrancy, but beneath the playful fruit lies striking precision and quiet power. Subtle notes of pepper, wild herbs and spice glide through the silky texture, framed by ultra-fine tannins and a lingering, mineral finish. Light on its feet yet deeply serious, this is a wine of astonishing elegance with the poise and structure to age beautifully.
Winemaker | Johannes Zillinger
Region | Weinvertel, Austria
Variety | Cabernet Franc, Syrah
Viticulture | Biodynamic
Soil | Loess and limestone - Haidthal and Sonnberg
Altitude | 150 m
Age of the vines | 25 years
Bottles made | 8000 bottles
Vinification
Crafted from biodynamically farmed Cabernet Franc and Syrah grown on Zillinger’s limestone- and loess-rich parcels. Grapes are hand-harvested and fermented spontaneously as whole berries for a light, juicy extraction. The Syrah spends 3–4 days on the skins, while the Cabernet Franc remains around twice as long, building gentle structure and aromatic lift. Ageing takes place in large oak barrels to preserve fruit purity and freshness. Bottled without fining, filtration or added sulphur, this is a naturally expressive wine that captures both brightness and drinkability.