Clemens Krutzler is the fifth-generation force at his family’s historic estate, Weingut Krutzler, in Deutsch Schützen—one of the most compelling corners of Eisenberg, in Austria’s far southern Burgenland. But this bottle is distinctly his own: a personal project he began in 2020, giving the young grower room to work with the family’s vineyards through a looser, more immediate lens. At just 21, Clemens was named Burgenland’s most popular young winemaker in Falstaff’s 2024 community vote, but the more meaningful credential is in the glass: unmistakably Eisenberg, with Blaufränkisch’s dark-fruited intensity sharpened by the region’s cool, iron-rich soils.

The 2024 Blaufränkisch is the clearest introduction to that philosophy. Rather than pursuing density or oak-driven power, Clemens leans into the grape’s natural brightness: black cherry and crushed blackberry, wild herbs, white pepper, and a distinctly stony, ferric edge. It is a red with the aromatic lift and drinking ease of Cru Beaujolais, but its structure is more savory and grounded—a superb answer for anyone who loves peppery Northern Rhône Syrah, taut Loire Cabernet Franc, or cool-climate Pinot with a little more grip. Vintage 2024 brought a small but strong Austrian harvest, and Eisenberg was among the regions that retained impressive freshness and quality after a challenging growing season.

Why You’ll Love It

• Austrian red at its most expressive: Blaufränkisch brings dark berries, tart cherry, cracked pepper, and a savory herbal thread—vivid fruit with real character, never simple sweetness.

• A singular sense of place: Eisenberg’s iron-rich soils lend mineral tension and fine tannic structure, turning an easy-to-love red into something that also feels unmistakably regional.

• A genuine next-generation story: Clemens’s personal label is rooted in the resources and experience of his family’s fifth-generation estate, but carries a fresher, smaller-scale, more individual point of view.

How To Serve It

• Open about 15–20 minutes before pouring and serve between 55–60°F. (Twenty minutes in the refrigerator is ideal if the bottle has been at room temperature)  

• Pour into Burgundy bowls or a generous all-purpose stem 

• Extremely food friendly. Enjoy it with grilled sausages, schnitzel, duck, burgers, mushrooms, lentils, or paprika-roasted chicken. Its acidity and grip make it an especially natural match for savory, smoky, and lightly spiced dishes.