Helmut Preisinger

Neusiedlersee Merlot and Pinot Noir from Austria's thermal wine lake.

Helmut Preisinger works in Neusiedlersee, Austria's warm continental lake region in Burgenland, where thermal influences and sandy soils favor ripe, structured reds. The winery's portfolio centers on Merlot and Pinot Noir—grapes that thrive in the region's long growing season. Mithras Cigarillo, a Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon blend, and EGO, a Pinot Noir, represent the winery's core expression, both rated 93 by prestige critics including Falstaff and Wine Spectator. Merlot Alter Satz, a single-varietal bottling, follows at 92.5. These wines reflect the precision and ripeness characteristic of Neusiedlersee's terroir—wines built on the region's ability to coax depth and complexity from Bordeaux and Burgundian varieties.