Same grape variety, same wine region, same winemaker. Yet two completely different wines in the glass. This is exactly what fascinated me when tasting the single-vineyard Blaufränkisch wines of Michaela Riedmüller from Carnuntum. Only around 10 kilometres separate Braunsberg and Spitzerberg, but once you taste the wines side by side, the differences become incredibly clear.
If you want a deeper introduction to Carnuntum itself — its history, climate, DAC system, and why Blaufränkisch works so well here — I already covered the region in detail in my previous article about Carnuntum. This time, I would like to focus specifically on Michaela Riedmüller’s single-vineyard Blaufränkisch wines from Braunsberg and Spitzerberg, and how these two famous Carnuntum vineyards create completely different expressions of the same grape variety.
Michaela Riedmüller – A Young Winemaker Focused on Terroir
If you have been following my blog for a while, Michaela Riedmüller’s name is probably already familiar. I have written before about her “Down to Earth” natural wine collection and her philosophy around sustainable farming and minimal intervention winemaking.
But while the “Down to Earth” wines focus more on experimentation and natural wine techniques, Michaela Riedmüller’s single-vineyard Blaufränkisch wines show another side of her work entirely. These wines are all about terroir.
Michaela Riedmüller took over her family winery in Hainburg an der Donau at only 19 years old and quickly developed a very clear vision for the estate. Sustainability, careful vineyard work, and wines that honestly reflect where they come from became the centre of her philosophy.
Today, Michaela Riedmüller farms vineyards across some of the most exciting sites in Carnuntum, especially Braunsberg and Spitzerberg, where Blaufränkisch shows remarkable precision and personality.
Both the Braunsberg and Spitzerberg Blaufränkisch spend around 24 months in used 500-litre barrels. This gives the wines time to evolve and soften gently, but without covering up the fruit or terroir character. And this is where the comparison becomes really fascinating.
Why Blaufränkisch Shows Terroir So Well
Some grape varieties naturally hide vineyard differences more than others. Blaufränkisch does the opposite.
The grape has naturally high acidity, spicy character, moderate tannins, and a very transparent fruit profile. Because of this, even small differences in soil, climate, or vineyard location become visible in the glass. This is why Blaufränkisch from two nearby vineyards can taste surprisingly different.
And Michaela Riedmüller’s Braunsberg and Spitzerberg Blaufränkisch wines are perfect examples of that.
Braunsberg – Freshness, Minerality, and Elegance
The Ried Braunsberg vineyard lies north of Hainburg on south-facing slopes between around 180 and 230 metres above sea level. It also sits relatively close to the Danube, which helps preserve freshness in the wines.
The soils here are incredibly complex. In the upper parts of the vineyard, ancient rocks like schist, gneiss, and quartzite dominate, while lower sections contain loess and limestone-rich sandy soils that retain heat very well.
Compared to Spitzerberg, Braunsberg feels fresher, more lifted, and more elegant in the glass. The fruit profile moves more into red cherries and red berries, together with herbal freshness and a slightly minty character. The wine also shows noticeably more minerality and salinity. The tannins are softer too, which makes the wine feel more approachable and easier to drink already when young.
Spitzerberg – Structure, Spice, and Power
Spitzerberg is one of the most famous single vineyards in Carnuntum and probably one of Austria’s most exciting places for Blaufränkisch.
Michaela Riedmüller works with parcels in Obere Spitzer and Untere Spitzer near Prellenkirchen. Compared to Braunsberg, these vineyards sit slightly further inland and farther away from the Danube. The area is heavily exposed to wind, which slows down ripening and helps preserve freshness in the grapes.
The soils here were shaped millions of years ago by the ancient Pannonian Sea. You find calcareous sands, sandstone, silt, and marl, together with dry, poor soils that force the vines to struggle naturally.
Compared to Braunsberg, Spitzerberg feels darker, deeper, and more powerful. Instead of fresh red cherries, the wine moves more into dark forest fruits, black cherries, and sweeter spice notes. The body is slightly fuller, the tannins firmer, and the whole wine feels more structured and serious. But despite that power, it still keeps beautiful freshness and energy thanks to Blaufränkisch’s naturally high acidity.
What I personally found very interesting is that neither wine tastes heavily oaked, even after spending around 24 months in used 500-litre barrels. The wood stays in the background, allowing the vineyard character to remain the star of the wine.
Why Michaela Riedmüller’s Blaufränkisch Wines Deserve Attention
I honestly think Blaufränkisch is still underrated internationally compared to how good it can be. And producers like Michaela Riedmüller are a big reason why that is slowly changing.
Instead of focusing on heavy oak or overpowering extraction, Michaela Riedmüller’s wines focus on freshness, balance, drinkability, and terroir expression. The wines feel modern while still staying deeply connected to Carnuntum traditions.
And these single-vineyard wines are perfect examples of that philosophy. They are serious wines with ageing potential, but they are also wines that stay energetic and enjoyable to drink now.
Wines to Taste
Michaela Riedmüller – Ried Spitzerberg Blaufränkisch 2022
Limited to only 666 bottles every year, Michaela Riedmüller’s Ried Spitzerberg Blaufränkisch comes from one single 500-litre barrel and beautifully captures the raw, structured personality of this famous Carnuntum vineyard.
The grapes come from the Holzweingarten section of Spitzerberg near Prellenkirchen, where barren limestone-sand soils, constant wind exposure, and naturally low yields create small berries with intense concentration and freshness. Michaela harvests the upper and lower parcels separately, with the upper section usually giving even more tension and firmer tannin structure.
The wine is produced with 100% hand harvest, strict berry selection, spontaneous fermentation in open vats, and gentle manual punch-downs during fermentation. Only the free-run juice goes into the barrel reserved exclusively for this wine each year. After 14–24 months in used 500-litre barrels, the wine is bottled unfiltered with minimal sulphur addition.
In the glass, the wine shows a medium-depth ruby colour. The nose immediately feels darker and deeper compared to Braunsberg, with aromas of blueberry, plum, cassis, black currant, cinnamon, black pepper, and red blossom flowers.
On the palate, the wine is full-bodied with very ripe medium-plus tannins and very good freshness. Dark fruit flavours of plum and black currant dominate, supported by the spicy notes already present on the nose. Despite the structure, the wine remains balanced, finishing long with lingering spice and dark berry character.
This is a Blaufränkisch that shows the more serious and powerful side of Carnuntum while still keeping precision and freshness at the centre.
Michaela Riedmüller – Ried Braunsberg Blaufränkisch 2022
This Ried Braunsberg Blaufränkisch 2022 shows a more elegant and lifted side of Carnuntum Blaufränkisch.
Like the Spitzerberg, this wine is also limited to one single 500-litre barrel each vintage, resulting in only 666 bottles produced.
The Braunsberg vineyard near Hainburg benefits from warm limestone soils, ideal sun exposure, cooling Danube influence, and constant wind circulation that helps keep the grapes healthy and concentrated. These conditions create Blaufränkisch with freshness, ripe fruit, and silky tannin structure.
The grapes are harvested entirely by hand with strict selection before spontaneous fermentation in open vats. Extraction remains gentle and controlled, followed by 24 months of ageing in one large used 500-litre barrel. The wine is bottled unfiltered.
Compared to Spitzerberg, the colour is slightly lighter medium ruby. The nose immediately feels fresher and more red-fruited, showing aromas of red cherry, ripe strawberry, sour cherry marmalade, mint, cinnamon, together with subtle hints of chocolate and vanilla.
On the palate, the wine feels fresh and beautifully balanced. The tannins are super ripe and already very well integrated, giving the wine a smoother and more approachable structure compared to Spitzerberg. Cherry flavours dominate the palate, supported by spicy notes and refreshing acidity. The finish is long, fresh, and slightly minty with lingering cherry character.
For me, this wine perfectly shows the more elegant and mineral-driven personality of Braunsberg while still keeping the depth and structure that make Carnuntum Blaufränkisch so exciting today.
Conclusion
Tasting Michaela Riedmüller’s Braunsberg and Spitzerberg Blaufränkisch side by side reminded me again why I love learning about wine through comparison tastings.
Reading about terroir is helpful. But tasting how two vineyards only around 10 kilometres apart can create such different wines makes everything much easier to understand.
Braunsberg feels fresher, more mineral, and more elegant. Spitzerberg feels darker, more structured, and more powerful.
Both are unmistakably Carnuntum. And both show just how exciting Michaela Riedmüller’s Blaufränkisch wines have become for Austrian wine today.
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