The story of Grabenwerkstatt is one of vision, resilience and quiet revolution. Founded just over a decade ago by Franz Hofbauer and Michael Linke, this tiny Wachau estate has grown from a local curiosity to a cult-hero producer whose wines are now highly sought after across the world. With just 4.5 hectares of steep, hand-tended vines in the Spitzer Graben, the Wachau’s westernmost, coolest and most marginal side valley, they produce wines that sit comfortably among Austria’s greatest, and increasingly among the world’s most exciting fine whites.
Their meteoric rise is no longer just a well-kept secret. The Gault & Millau guide’s award for Austria’s best wine, high-90s scores from Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate publication, and glowing praise from James Suckling and Jancis Robinson MW have cemented Grabenwerkstatt’s place at the forefront of the new Austrian fine wine movement. That their Trenning Riesling was awarded the highest-ever Austrian single-vineyard riesling score by Parker in recent vintages says everything about the quality and ambition here.
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The 2024 vintage was, perhaps, their most challenging to date. A spring frost set the tone, affecting vines early and resulting in significant crop loss in some sites. A record-early harvest began on 31st August, in sweltering 32°C heat and then came four days of torrential rain, halting harvest entirely for nearly two weeks. Picking resumed in dramatically cooler conditions, and it was just 4°C by the time they brought in the final fruit on 15th October.
Despite the pressure, the resulting 2024 wines are brilliantly expressive. They show all the tension and cool-climate clarity that defines this winery, but with an added layer of spice and drive, the kind of precision and restraint that wine lovers will recognise as hallmarks of wines built for the long term. These are not wines that shout. They whisper with intent and reveal their layers slowly over time.
The rieslings, from glacial, perfumed Bruck to the satin-textured heights of Trenning, through the saline grip of Kalkofen, are chiselled, with a line of acidity that promises excellent ageing potential. The grüner veltliners offer salinity, peppery spice and minerality, from the crystalline focus of Grabenwerk to the poise of Schön and the deeper tones of Wachauwerk.
Make no mistake: these are wines for the cellar, crafted in tiny quantities by two people with total control and total belief in their land. Their success is not by chance, but by sheer dedication and a philosophy rooted in precision, humility and time. As their following continues to grow internationally, the window to secure Grabenwerkstatt wines at this stage is narrowing. For now, though, they remain one of the most thrilling fine wine discoveries in Austria, and these 2024s, born of adversity but full of grace, are a testament to the brilliance of this singular producer.
