Dorli Muhr established her namesake wine estate back in 2002. She started with a small 0.17-hectare parcel of vines (inherited from her grandmother), in the relatively obscure region of Carnuntum at the foothills of the Carpathian Mountains. Seeing great potential in the region, in particular the enchanting Spitzerberg hill, she spent the next few years buying up and/or leasing abandoned old plots, replanting and revitalising them with new vines. As an early pioneer of the region, her influence looms large; she converted her 12-hectare estate to organic management in 2015 and enthusiastically encourages her neighbours to do the same. A tireless champion of the Carnuntum region and the Spitzerberg slope in particular, Dorli has based her new winery in Prellenkirchen at the foot of the hill, a monument of sorts to the place and the grape (Blaufränkisch) and yet another reinforcement of her unwavering commitment to her wine earth. The recognition of Ried Spitzerberg as an Erste Lage in 2019 was, in no small part, due to her all-encompassing efforts for her region. 

Carnuntum is a warm and dry wine-growing area, located along the southern banks of the Danube River in the eastern reaches of Austria, southeast of Vienna. The rolling hills of the region enjoy slightly warmer temperatures than are usually associated with Austria; high sunshine hours and warm easterly breezes are moderated by the Danube influence, providing ideal ripening conditions for the fruit. The Spitzerberg hill in particular is quite an extraordinary site with steep slopes and rich limestone soils. It is subdivided into nine component sites, all of which display widely varied characteristics. From east to west, the soils become consistently more finely grained, and the difference in flavour in the resulting wines is quite impressive.

Dorli fashions some incredibly exciting, pure-fruited Blaufränkisch from various sites in the steep, limestone-rich hillsides of Carnuntum. Over three-quarters of production is dedicated to single plot, mono-varietal Blaufränkisch, crafted in a hands-off approach which favours elegance over power. Over the years Muhr has continued to refine her modus operandi of organic viticulture, low yields, meticulous fruit selection (often berry-by-berry) and precise picking dates, making Weingut Dorli Muhr one of Austria’s go-to red wine estates of the present day.