Weingut Wohlmuth Sauvignon Blanc Ried Steinriegl
WHY WE LOVE IT
- Family run winery for nearly 200 years.
- Because the vineyards are extremely steep, the grapes must be hand- picked from sparse slate soils.
- Weingut Wohlmuth engages in Eco-friendly vinification practices, using no herbicides or pesticides.
Varietal Composition: 100% Sauvignon Blanc
Elaboration: Steinriegl is a very steep (up to 78% inclination), top single vineyard that is in a high altitude location. It faces south-southwest. This vineyard produces highly flavor-intense wines with pronounced minerality. It has been referred to as one of the best single vineyards of Styria for centuries. Since vintage 2018 this special single vineyard is classified as STK Premier Cru, a high quality designation. The soil is red and blue-black slate with quarzite. The winemaking takes place very late and the grapes are hand-picked selectively. They have a short maceration time and then undergo gentle and very slow pressing. The fermentation process is slow and natural in used big wooden casks. The wine is aged on yeast for 11 months.
Tasting Notes: Savory aromas and flavors, dense, minerally, spicy, great interplay of cool flavors from the slate and warm flavors of the ripeness, with a huge life ahead—pure slate.
PRESS
2019 – 93-94 Wine Advocate | 98 Wine Enthusiast
2020 – 93 Wine Advocate
PRODUCER BACKGROUND
Kitzeck im Sausal is a village that deserves high praise. That’s because it boasts the highest-in-elevation wine estates in Austria. But it takes more than a mountaintop to create great wine. It takes many generations of the Wohlmuth family who have been making 100% single-estate-grown wine here since 1803!