Sauvignon Blanc Gamlitz from Sattlerhof, sourced from cool, steep slopes
Sauvignon Blanc Gamlitz from the Sattlerhof winery is the estate’s "Ortswein" (village wine), harvested from the steep slopes surrounding the market town. It is cool and vibrant, needs a little air, and then becomes surprisingly complex.
Sauvignon Blanc Gamlitz is the dry village wine from the Sattler family in Sernau, one level above the regional wine of Southern Styria. Andreas and Alexander Sattler have the grapes selectively hand-harvested in the vineyards in and around Gamlitz. There, 15 to 35-year-old vines take root on slopes between 350 and 450 meters above sea level.
White-fleshed pears, green asparagus, and lemon verbena
This Sauvignon Blanc initially appears in the glass cool and vibrant, and it truly needs a bit of air before it drops its guard and opens up.
Then white-fleshed pears emerge, along with a hint of green asparagus, and only afterwards do lemon balm and lemon verbena arrive, giving the wine its herbal, spicy signature. On the palate, it is complex and completely dry, with a length that lingers for quite a while after the swallow.
If you let the bottle sit, time works in its favor. The 2024 vintage will be at its best until 2030, becoming calmer, rounder, and a touch darker in its fruit profile. Those who open it young, however, will get to experience the taut, green side of this grape variety.
A wine for fish, risotto, and asparagus season
The winery itself suggests fish dishes, risotto, asparagus, and imaginative vegetable cuisine as counterparts. This range is fitting because the spice and freshness are equally pronounced in this village wine.
A risotto with young peas works just as well as a steamed fish fillet. Even sautéed fennel loses none of its sweetness alongside it, actually gaining definition. With asparagus, the wine takes on the role usually filled by melted butter, as it elevates the vegetable rather than overpowering it.
Compared to the Sauvignon Blanc Südsteiermark, the regional wine from the same cellar, the village-level wine feels more serious and broader in structure. Consequently, it can handle a dish that has a bit more fat and more roasted aromas.
Quartz sand with mica and a cool microclimate
Beneath these vine rows lie crystalline quartz sands with mica, a barren material without any comfort. It lets water drain away quickly, forcing the roots to seek their supply far below. Gamlitz is located as a municipality in the middle of this hilly landscape, and the village wine captures what several vineyards there have in common.
The harvest is carried out selectively, crate by crate, because no machine can manage these slopes. The must then stays on the skins for 4 to 8 hours, which gives it spice and texture without making it heavy. It is then fermented and aged in steel tanks so that none of the cool signature of the microclimate is lost.
The family works biodynamically across 33 hectares, and this vintage carries the certification in full. The rest of the assortment gathers the range of the Sattlerhof winery, and those who wish to browse more broadly can explore further via our white wines and wines from Austria.
Sauvignon Blanc Gamlitz – a wine and its values
- Origin: Wine from Austria
- Region: Südsteiermark DAC
- Quality level: Ortswein (Village wine)
- Grape variety: Sauvignon Blanc
- 13.5% vol. alcohol
- 5.2 g/l acidity
- 1.1 g/l residual sugar
- Aged in steel tanks
- At its best until 2030
- Contains sulfites
- Vegan
- Biodynamic certified according to Lacon
Organic control body AT-BIO-402 – Austrian Agriculture