Wohlmuth – Sauvignon Blanc Ried Steinriegl
The Wohlmuth Sauvignon Blanc Ried Steinriegl 2020 is a great, dry white wine from the Ried (single vineyard, as the Austrians call it) Steinriegl in Styria, Austria. Its vines grow on extremely steep vineyard slopes planted on slate soils. Influenced by the Illyrian climate, which brings warm winds from the Mediterranean and cool winds from the northern Alps to Kitzeck in Southern Styria, and with much manual labor on the steep slopes, which requires admirable local commitment, white wines with an unmistakable, complex fruit expression are produced.
The Sauvignon Blanc Ried Steinriegl from Winery Wohlmuth is an elegant representative of its grape variety, rather restrained on the nose, but on the palate it reveals its aromatic spectrum of yellow fruits, ripe gooseberry, exotic lychee and pineapple, white blossoms, and delicate blossom honey, subtle extract sweetness, fine acid structure, and always accompanied by a fine slate spiciness, a wonderfully cool minerality, finesse, and precision. This demonstrates the brilliant interplay of grape variety, soil, location, and winemaking craftsmanship, which has a 200-year-old tradition at Wohlmuth's. A great Sauvignon Blanc with certain aging potential - dense, complex, mineral, with great potential.
Sauvignon Blanc – from the Steinriegl vineyard
The Ried, or as the Austrians call it, Ried Steinriegl is one of the best vineyards in Southern Styria, documented for centuries. The vineyard is located at an altitude of 400-540m above sea level and is impressively steep with a slope of 40-78%. The soils consist of Paleozoic, red slate. The upper part of Ried Steinriegl faces south, the lower part south-southwest. With the 2018 vintage, this special site, which produces complex wines of distinct minerality, was classified as Erste STK (Styrian Classic) Südsteiermark DAC.
The grapes for this Wohlmuth Sauvignon Blanc Steinriegl are harvested very late by selective hand-picking. A short maceration period and very slow and gentle pressing, as well as spontaneous fermentation in stainless steel tanks and used large wooden barrels, preserve its fragrance and fruit. Subsequent bâtonnage and maturation on fine lees for 10 months provide a full mouthfeel and a delicate creaminess.
The appealing modern label is designed each year by a different young artist. In 2020, it features a painting by the Austrian artist Gerhard Gutruf, born in Burgenland.
A Ried wine and its values
- Origin Austria
- Growing region Southern Styria
- Single vineyard Ried Steinriegl
- Grape variety Sauvignon Blanc
- Vegan
- Sustainably certified
- 12.5% vol. alcohol
- 6.6 g/l acidity
- 1.1 g/l residual sugar