Paul Lehrner

Fruit-driven reds at sensible prices from a down-to-earth vintner who’d rather quench thirst than win medals.  Lehrner’s style doesn’t require super-saturated ripeness. It’s an adult style of red wine emphasizing fruit over tannin and structure over everything else.  It’s somewhat misleading to call these wines “light,” as in fact they have considerable depth. What they are not is inky, tannic obsidian dragons which bellow 600% new oak at your schnoz.

•Vineyard area: 18 hectares
•Annual production: 5,800 cases
•Top sites: Hochäcker, Dürrau
•Soil types: Sandy loam and clay loam
•Grape varieties: 72% Blaufränkish, 15% Zweigelt, 10% St. Laurent, Cabernet Sauvignon, Pinot Noir, and Merlot, 3% Chardonnay and Grüner Veltliner