The winery is located in Gamlitz in the wine-growing region of southern Styria(Austria). It has a centuries-old history, as it was already described in 1770 in a register of property rights of the Lordship of Strass and in 1787 on the occasion of a land survey in the Josephine cadastre. In 1976, Wilma Lackner took over the farm from her uncle, and two years later the estate was renamed Lackner-Tinnacher after her marriage to Fritz Tinnacher.
In 2013, Katharina Tinnacher, who holds a degree in botany, took over the management. A new wine cellar was put into operation in 2001 and honoured by the Republic of Austria for its exemplary design. The centuries-old vaulted cellar with tasting room was renovated in 2002 and the historic manor house was remodelled in 2016.
Vineyards & grape varieties
The vineyards cover 27 hectares of steep slopes at 400 to 500 metres above sea level in the Steinbach (Erste STK Lage), Welles (Grosse STK Lage), Eckberg, Flamberg (Grosse STK Lage), Gamlitz (Erste STK Lage), Türken and Sernau vineyards. Most of these are planted with very old, deep-rooted vines and come from selections made by grandfather Franz Lackner. They are 100% planted with white wine varieties, namely Sauvignon Blanc, Morillon, Pinot Blanc, Pinot Gris, Gelber Muskateller, Welschriesling, Roter Traminer and Riesling.
Cultivation
The vineyards are cultivated according to the rules of organic viticulture, which have been certified since 2013. The entire winery is certified according to the sustainable production rules of Nachhaltig Austria. The vines are thinned out several times to reduce yields. In order to achieve ideal physiological ripeness, the shoots are formed by hand to ensure optimal exposure to the sun. The grapes are all harvested by hand, selected in the vineyard and transported quickly and gently to the cellar after the harvest.
Vinification
After a second manual grape selection, the grapes are gently pressed. For the grape varieties Sauvignon Blanc and Gelber Muskateller, a maceration period takes place beforehand. The berries are separated from the stalks, gently crushed and macerated for several hours to extract the deep flavours from the pulp. The must flows from the press into the cellar below without the use of pumps. Fermentation is 100% spontaneous.
Product range
The wines are produced in the following lines: regional wine(Südsteiermark DAC Welschriesling), local wine (Gamlitz and Kitzeck-Sausal Sauvignon Blanc and Gamlitz Gelber Muskateller) and single vineyard (Erste STK Lage and Grosse STK Lage). Depending on the type of wine, they are matured in stainless steel tanks or in large wooden barrels with long ageing on the fine lees. Barriques are generally not used in favour of the vintage and vineyard characteristics.
The company's premium wines include Ried Welles Sauvignon Blanc, Ried Flamberg Sauvignon Blanc, Ried Flamberg Morillon, Franz Lackner Welschriesling and Ried Gamlitz Gelber Muskateller. Fine brandies such as brandy, yeast brandy and fruit brandy are also produced. Around 100,000 bottles of wine are produced each year. The winery is a member of the associations Steirische Terroir & Klassikweingüter and Wein Steiermark.
Pictures: Simon Oberhofer
