2013 Sauvignon Blanc Steinriegel

Two thousand fourteen looks to be an interesting year in Sausal, even if volumes are down. “Our grapes ripen a week later than in Gamlitz,” explained Gerhard Wohlmuth, “so the early September rains had less of an impact here.” Moreover, their slate soils drain well and the weather from late September to the middle of October was sunny and dry.

While father Gerhard still manages the vineyards, his son, also Gerhard, has been responsible for the cellars since 2007, adding a new level of complexity to the wines. That is partly due to the fact that the Wohlmuths have been concentrating their efforts on their own vineyards and buying less fruit from “further south,” as they call that part of Southern Styria where most of the well-known producers are located.

In these charmingly romantic hills, with their old houses and parks, the Wohlmuths' bright yellow winery stands in stark contrast to the steep granite and slate slopes. Here are some of the highest vineyards in Styria. As their finest Sauvignon Blancs are matured in 600-liter hogsheads at relative high temperatures, the estate prefers drinking them about three years after the vintage. Moreover, their Riesling Edelschuh is generally considered to be one of the country’s best. In fact, the first mention of Riesling being planted in Austria is in this region and it was still the main variety two centuries ago.