Sauvignon Blanc Ried Steinriegl – from Winery Wohlmuth
The Wohlmuth Sauvignon Blanc Ried Steinriegl 2023 is a magnificent, dry white wine from the Ried Steinriegl vineyard (or "Ried" as the Austrians call it) in Styria, Austria. Its vines grow on incredibly steep vineyard slopes 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 extensive manual labor on the steep slopes, which demands admirable local attachment, white wines are produced with a distinctive, complex fruit expression. Matured in wood for 16 months.
The Sauvignon Blanc Ried Steinriegl from Weingut Wohlmuth is an elegant representative of its grape variety, rather restrained on the nose, but on the palate, its aromatic spectrum reveals yellow fruits, cassis, white tropical fruit and exotic pineapple, white blossoms, and delicate blossom honey, subtle extract sweetness, a fresh acidic arc, and always accompanied by a fine, herbaceous slate spice, wonderfully cool minerality, finesse, and precision with very good length. This demonstrates the brilliant interplay of grape variety, soil, location, and winemaking craftsmanship, which has a 200-year-old tradition at Wohlmuth's. A Sauvignon Blanc with assured aging potential - dense, complex, mineral, with great developmental potential.
Sauvignon Blanc – from the Steinriegl vineyard
The Ried Steinriegl vineyard, or "Ried" as the Austrians call it, is one of the best sites in Southern Styria, documented for centuries. The vineyard is located at 400-540m above sea level and is remarkably steep with a 40-78% gradient. 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, has been classified as Erste STK Lage Südsteiermark DAC.
Due to its special orientation, high altitude, and openness to the nearby Alps, this vineyard experiences particularly rapid and strong cooling in the evening, which leads to intense aroma development. The extremely barren, red, phyllitic slate soil gives the wines their very unique spicy character.
The grapes for this Wohlmuth Sauvignon Blanc Steinriegl are harvested very late through 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 the aroma and fruit. Subsequent bâtonnage and maturation on the fine lees for 16 months ensure a full mouthfeel and a delicate creaminess.
The appealing modern label is designed each year by a different young artist. The 2023 vintage label features an exciting work by the German artist Torben Giehler.
A Ried wine and its values
- Origin Wine from Austria
- Growing region Southern Styria
- Site Ried Steinriegl
- Grape variety Sauvignon Blanc
- 12.5 % vol. Alcohol
- 6.7 g/l Acidity
- 1.1 g/l Residual sugar