Ried Pössnitzberger Kapelle® Chardonnay 2015 Große STK Ried

Single Vineyard Pössnitzberger Kapelle Chardonnay 2015 Grand Cru STK

Grape variety:
Chardonnay
Vintage:
2015
Awards:
19/20 GABRIEL, 99/100 FINETASTING, 99 A LA CARTE, 97 FALSTAFF, 19 GAULT MILLAU, 96 PARKER points
Alcohol content:
13.5%vol
Total acid:
4.9g/l
Residual suggar:
0.7g/l
Vinification:
harvested by hand, spontaneously fermented with natural yeasts
Maturation:
30 months in small oak barrels
Drinking maturity:
15 years and longer
Bottle closure:
nature cork, sorted by hand, sealed with wax
Old bottle labels
Categorisation:
Große STK Ried (Grand Cru STK)
Wine-growing area/ single vineyard :
Pössnitzberg
Local orientation:
a south-facing site forming a basin with an average inclination of 50%
Sea level:
420m–460m
Wine-growing region:
Southern Styria
Description of the wine:
elegant aromas, salty sea breeze, verbena, endlessly numerous facets, puristic but restrained wood flavour; very delicate on the palate, the acid is perfect embedded in the delicate extract; light lemon aroma, finely resinous spices, flavours of chalk and flintstone; silky structure, enormous length with a very high potential – pure harmony
Food recommendation:
bread crumbed porcini mushrooms, morel and truffle dishes, goes well with hearty meat dishes (Mediterranean and Asian style), ossobuco, braised dishes, lamb, ragout, game dishes (deer, wild boar), St. Martin´s Day goose, goose liver
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Categorisation:

The Single Vineyard Pössnitzberg is predestined as a great white wine terroir. Due to the interaction of the soil structure and of the climatic factors this single vineyard is unique. These Chardonnay wines are very authentic. The grapes for “Single Vineyard Pössnitzberger Kapelle Chardonnay” are from a special vineyard on the Pössnitzberg, a vineyard with a small, old chapel (“Kapelle” means chapel). In the sixties, Karl Rengo, the former landowner of this special vineyard already named his wines “Pössnitzberger Kapelle”. Our wines from Pössnitzberg, classified as “Große STK Ried” (Grand Cru STK site), are delicately mineral, very salty on the palate and show a tight structure and high ageing potential. The harvest yield is limited to a maximum of 45 hectolitres. Grand Cru STK wines are allowed to be offered for sale at the earliest on the 1st of May after 18 months of maturation.

Wine-growing area/ single vineyard:

Steepness and extremely chalky soils account for grand, deep terroir wines - laborious and intensive manual work provided. The Single Vineyard Pössnitzberg is the most southern single vineyard in Styria and is very important for our winery. In the fifties our grandfather Johann Sabathi recognised the potential of the site Pössnitzberg and acquired the first core of this precious vineyard. This extremely steep and rocky single vineyard benefits from partly very old vines and deep roots. Due to an inclination of 75% this vineyard needs to be cultivated almost by hand.

Climate:

Warm winds coming up from Slovenian valleys meet cool air streams from the Koralpe Mountains in the west.
These extreme temperature differences cause a spicy and multi-faceted aroma spectrum.

Soil:

From the geological point of view the Pössnitzberg is located within the southwestern Styrian sea basin. Approximately 16 million years ago some 1000 meters of mighty marine sediments accumulated. Geologists describe these fine marine sediments as “Styrian Schlier”. It consists of chalky fine-sandy, mostly green-greyish marl clay or argillaceous schist with deposits of sand, fossils of leaves and gloss carbon residues. These scarce and very chalky soils, called “Opok” (chalky marl), are characterised by a humous topsoil formed by weathering, which often does not exceed a height of 20 centimeters, and firm sedimentary rocks.

„Dieser Austria-Chardonnay-Summit erinnert mich stark an den Bienvenue-Batârd-Montrachet
von Carillon. Er hat schon bald das Zeug zu einem möglichen Jahrhundertwein.“ 
(René Gabriel)

“This Austria-Chardonnay-Summit reminds me of Bienvenue-Batârd-Montrachet
from Carillon. Soon to be a potential century-wine.“ 
(René Gabriel)


„Am Gaumen große Delikatesse und schöner Trinkfluss. Seidig und elegant bei maximaler Intensität.
Die enorme Konzentration lässt einen auch wieder los. Ruhiges, harmonisches Finale. Potential für
dreißig Jahre.“

  (Till Ehrlich, FINE Das Weinmagazin)

«Great delicacy on the palate and wonderful drinking flow. Silky and elegant at a maximum intensity.
The enormous concentration lets you go again. A quiet, harmonious finale. Potential for thirty years.»
(Till Ehrlich, FINE Das Weinmagazin)


“… long finish, mineralic aftertaste, individual expression of Styrian Chardonnay.“ (Willi Balanjuk, A LA CARTE)


 “On the palate, this is a rich, round, salty, piquant and tightly woven Chardonnay with fine tannins and enormous grip on the intense, lush finish. This is a Styrian giant in terms of power, fruit, structure and persistency. This is so tight and compact that its aging potential should be enormous.” (Stephan Reinhardt, ROBERT PARKER WINE ADVOCATE)


 “… der grandiose Chardonnay Ried Pössnitzberger Kapelle, der rarste Wein in Sabathis Angebot. Die Suche
Lohnt sich: Noch >>mehr<< Chardonnay hat die Alpenrepublik aktuell nicht zu bieten.”     (Peter Moser)

“… the grandiose `Single Vineyard Pössnitzberger Kapelle Chardonnay’ is found, which is the rarest wine of the Erwin Sabathi Winery. This search is worthwhile: >> more << Chardonnay can´t be severed at present in Austria.“
(Peter Moser)