Morillon Gamlitz from Weingut Sattlerhof is known as Chardonnay elsewhere
Morillon Gamlitz from Weingut Sattlerhof carries the "Ortswein" (village wine) designation for Chardonnay and is grown on the steep slopes of the market town of Gamlitz. It is harvested exclusively by hand, and the 2020 vintage presents the grape variety as lean and spicy, with that cool composure characteristic of Southern Styria.
Morillon Gamlitz is the village wine produced by the Sattler family in Sernau near Gamlitz, made from Chardonnay, which the Styrians have always called Morillon. Both names refer to the same Burgundian grape variety, and anyone reaching for a bottle of Morillon is holding Chardonnay in their hand—just with a Styrian passport.
Hazelnut, yellow apple, and cool herbal spice
In the glass, the Morillon has the aroma of toasted hazelnuts and yellow apple, just as you would pick it from the tree in late autumn. Beneath this lies a fine herbal spice that keeps the palate cool and doesn't mask anything.
With a little air, notes of ripe pear emerge, followed by that faint smokiness that the quartz sands above Gamlitz reliably impart to the estate's wines. On the palate, the Chardonnay remains lean, spicy, and upright. It is carried by a delicate acidity that supports the wine rather than driving it.
It tastes dry but never harsh, and the 2020 vintage benefits from several years of bottle rest. It doesn't push itself to the fore, but waits patiently for you to listen. If you serve it too cold, you strip away the very spice that defines it.
A village wine for poultry and quiet evenings
Delicate braised dishes are the obvious pairing, along with poultry such as duck or guinea fowl. A fine pâté also handles this type of spice well. A village wine doesn't have to carry the whole menu, just the course currently sitting before you.
Because this wine is neither loud nor opulently structured, it pairs well with a meal that stretches out over hours. Andreas Sattler manages the vineyards together with his brother, and the village wines are the part of the portfolio intended for everyday enjoyment rather than special occasions.
This is the middle tier, situated between the regional wine (Gebietswein) from all of Southern Styria and the single-vineyard wines (Riedenweine). It tells the story of a place and the vineyards that surround it. Those looking for the same wine in a younger vintage can find it in the Morillon Gamlitz 2024 matured in wooden barrels.
Hand-harvested in small crates above Gamlitz
The Chardonnay grapes for this village wine come from the vineyards around the town, from steep slopes at altitudes of 350 to 450 meters. Harvesting is selective and done by hand in multiple passes so that only fully ripe grapes make it into the crate.
The small crates are not merely decorative; they are the only way to ensure the bottommost berries remain intact. Crushed berries release juice that oxidizes on the way to the cellar. The family's vines are 15 to 35 years old—old enough, therefore, for roots to reach deep into the crystalline quartz sand.
This vintage is organically certified; the estate only began working biodynamically from 2021 onwards, and this distinction remains clearly marked on the label. Other vintages and vineyard sites can be found at Weingut Sattlerhof; related bottles await under White Wine and Wine from Austria.
Morillon Gamlitz – a wine and its values
- Origin: Wine from Austria
- Region: Südsteiermark DAC
- Quality level: Village wine (Ortswein) Gamlitz
- Grape variety: Morillon, Chardonnay
- 12.5% vol. alcohol
- Contains sulfites
- Vegan
- Organically certified according to Lacon
Organic inspection body AT-BIO-402 – Austrian Agriculture