Lenz Moser is a mix of the thousand-year-old art of winemaking, cutting-edge modern technology, state-of-the-art equipment and efficient but quality-conscious production. The end result is perhaps the most important Austrian winery.
Millennia of history
A thousand years ago, land ownership matters were nice and simple. In 1040, Henry III issued an order that the vineyards around the village of Rohrendorf be transferred to Ebersberg Abbey. Shortly afterwards, the vineyards began to be called “Moser”.
Hundreds of years went by, the borders of Austria, world politics and the church were redrawn many times and finally the monastery lands were transferred back into public ownership.In 1849 Anton Moser began to run the Rohrendorf farm and cellar. That year is considered to be the year of Lenz Moser’s birth.
So production does not necessarily mean bulk
Today, Lenz Moser is one of the most important and influential wine companies in Austria. In addition to its own hectares, it buys grapes from nearly 3,000 growers, who closely follow Lenz Moser’s methods, from organic fertilization and organic pest control to the “high training culture” developed by Professor Lenz Moser III, in which the trunk of the vine is grown up to 1.2 meters high. The grapes develop just above this height and are harvested manually or mechanically very quickly and efficiently.
Since the 1980s, Lenz Moser has invested tens of millions of euros in its production facilities, development and equipment so that only the best is extracted from each grape in the most efficient way possible. During this time, Lenz Moser has gone a long way to advancing the method of chilling white wines. The rise of the Zweigelt red variety to world fame is due to Lenz Moser’s persistent development work.
Lenz Moser’s ideology is simple; produce affordable but good quality wines. In between these two extremes, swinging on the strapets has created a community of Lenz Moser friends who trust the brand, whether it’s a 93-point bottle or a product on tap at the local wine bar. Despite mega-massive production volumes and range, especially on an Austrian scale, none of the so-called bulk wines come out of the cellar.
Lenz Moser in figures
- 17 million bottles per year
- 70 employees, turnover €38 million (2012)
- 50/50 red and white
- 30% exports, Germany the biggest buyer
- With 75 hectares of orchards and nearly 3,000 contract growers in Lower Austria and Burgendland
The new bottling line is a masterpiece of engineering
When production gets big enough, you have to think about the unsexy things in winemaking – like bottling. Lenz Moser invested €3.5 million in a new bottling line in 2013. Capacity increased from 12 500 bottles per hour to 16 000, an increase of only about a quarter. You might ask if there is too much money and you can’t think of where to put it anymore?
The bottling stage, however, involves a surprising number of logistical, quality and even marketing issues. Firstly, the new bottling line allows the screwing of new types of low screw caps. The new screw caps are considerably more hygienic than the old ones. The screw caps throughout the line are immune to “cork fouling”, i.e. acid, but not necessarily to debris in the cap itself.
Bottles can be filled almost to the top, which of course minimizes the amount of air in the bottle and ensures the freshest taste. The necks are checked by two cameras and a “candle filter” checks the bottle after washing for 100% clinical freedom from any microbiological oddities.
Before Lenz Moser used 11 different bottle types, so the palette was also standardized. The new bottles across the board are now also much lighter, saving diesel and the environment when transporting them around the globe. The new line as a whole is also, of course, more energy efficient and quieter, so the bottling line workers have also been delighted.
Lenz Moser wine tasting
Lenz Moser Prestige Grüner Veltliner 2013
Lime, fruit. Heavy nose. Flavour fresher, ok acidity.
Malteser Weinviertel DAC 2013
Sweet nose, herbs, lemon. Broadly balanced. Fruity. Long. Mineral. Quality stuff.
Lenz Moser Prestige Pinot Gris 2013
Fine pear. Some herbs. Lemon. Fresh, juicy, youthful and easy.
Lenz Moser Prestige Riesling 2013
Apple and peach. Dry, balanced, nice and easy riesling.
Fête Rosé 2013
Flowers, cherry, apricot. Fine freshness. Good acidity. Aromatic. Strawberry. Excellent rose.
Lenz Moser Prestige Blauer Zweigelt Reserve 2011
Nearly cherry. Subtle smoke. Medium-bodied, broad, rounded nose left us expecting more.
Klosterkeller Siegendorf O’Dora 2011
Cherries, berries, earth. A little vanilla. Balanced, developed and of high quality. Good oakiness. Excellent wine.
Lenz Moser Prestige Beerenauslese 2012
Fine forest honey. Apricot. Clear and medium-bodied. No acids, so the sweetness is accentuated. Easy.
Lenz Moser Prestige Trockenbeerenauslese 2012
Concentrated. Apricot. Subtle acidity folds in the sweetness. Balance. Quality. Excellent.
Text: Janne Suomi
Photos: Janne Suomi and Sami Issakainen
www.lenzmoser.at
Last Updated on June 5, 2022 by Flavorado
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