Falstaff's 2024 Best Young Winemaker in Burgenland, Clemens Krutzler, is willing to experiment. At 18 years old, he began a fun side project with one barrel of wine. Passion and curiosity quickly became an internationally lauded, deft iteration of the iconic Eisenberg soils. Situated in southern Burgenland, Austria's Eisenberg DAC is a small but extraordinary wine region. The name Eisenberg translates to Iron Mountain, a nod to the unique terroir of iron-laden schist and clay soils. Working exclusively with native Welschriesling and Blaufrankisch grown on his family's forty-year-old estate near Deutsch-Scheutzen, the Pannonian-Illyrian microclimate plays a large part as well. It is the coldest part of Burgenland, receiving more rain with cooler nights. This results in not only higher acidity but also, complex, phenolic, ripe grapes due to longer hang time. Clemens says "The iron-rich schist of the Eisenberg lends our Blaufrankisch its unmistakable mineral backbone, complemented by vibrant acidity and precise fruit character. These are wines of origin, wines that tell the story of the land." Clemens' innovative, fresh take on Burgenland's traditional grapes and his open-minded winemaking create eminently drinkable wines of vitality and sophistication. He works as naturally as possible with minimal intervention. Grapes are picked early retaining that inherent crisp acidity. He experiments with the mash, both duration and co-fermentation and his wines are raised in used oak or stainless steel to keep their natural fruit expression with minimal Sulphur use. Clemens' transparent winemaking, combined with the distinct minerality provided by the Eisenberg soils, rich in iron and slate, produces joyous wines of freshness and effusive quaffability. We are so thrilled to bring these highly sought-after wines into the US for the first time.