Curtain Up for an Icon—one that only steps into the spotlight when it is truly ready. The Phantom is the flagship wine of K+K Kirnbauer, the renowned winery from Austria’s Burgenland region. A highly sought-after blend with cult status that has captivated wine lovers since its debut in 1987, with new stories unfolding around it year after year.
The rarest things are always the most exciting
Back in 1987, red wine pioneer Kirnbauer took a bold step by becoming one of the first winemakers in the region to unite different red grape varieties in a single blend. What began as a groundbreaking debut quickly evolved into a remarkable success story. Ever since, each new vintage of The Phantom has been eagerly awaited.
Who knows what goes on behind closed doors?
Once a year, a select circle of family and friends gathers to taste twelve barrique-aged wines—both individually and in a variety of blends. Among them are Burgenland’s signature Blaufränkisch, alongside Cabernet, Merlot and Syrah. After three to four days of careful deliberation, the group decides together which composition is truly Phantom-worthy—deserving of carrying the name as the next successor.
One encounter is all it takes: you’ll never forget it.
More black than red. Enigmatic. Irresistible. Yet The Phantom seems unwilling to be confined by any description. Anyone who tries to define it soon runs out of words—they vanish as elusive as the Phantom itself. And yet it is never forgotten. What remains is a single word, chosen each year to capture its character…
Nothing rivals the mystery of maturity
…transforming it into a unique visual concept that captures the story of each vintage. Whether celebrating the winery’s organic certification and its relentless pursuit of excellence, or the Phantom’s dramatic return after mysteriously disappearing the year before, every campaign tells a new chapter. Be it at the Hotel Sacher, aboard a vintage Rolls-Royce, or soaring in a hot-air balloon—no effort is spared for this coveted star of the show.
Getting Lost Is Only Human
The current visual centres on a labyrinth. The challenge is to find the way… To where? Surely to the wine cabinet, in the hope of uncovering The Phantom within.
photos: Joachim Haslinger; Agentur kratkys.net
