Ried Pössnitzberger Kapelle I Chardonnay 2020 Große STK Ried, Südsteiermark^DAC

The single vineyards from Pössnitzberg are predestined as a great white wine terroir. Due to the interaction of the soil structure and of the climatic factors the single vineyards there are 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”. This wine from the Single Vineyard Pössnitzberger Kapelle I, one of our rarities, is delicately mineral, very salty on the palate, shows a tight structure and a high aging potential. The harvest yield is limited to a maximum of 45 hectolitres. As a rarity, this wine is allowed to be offered for sale at the earliest on the 1st of May after 30 months of maturation.

Steepness and extremely chalky soils account for grand, deep terroir wines - laborious and intensive manual work provided. The single vineyards on Pössnitzberg are the most southern single vineyards in Styria and are very important for our winery. This vineyard is exclusively cultivated by Erwin Sabathi – therefore a monopole vineyard. 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.

Due to the kettle-shaped exposure, this is the hottest vineyard on the Pössnitzberg. Therefore, the grapes for Ried Pössnitzberger Kapelle I grow on the warmest parcel on the Pössnitzberg.

Pössnitzberg is located on the southern part of the "West Styrian Bay" of the Styrian Basin. In former times (in the Neogene), several 1000 meter thick marine sediments have been deposited there. These deposits, also called "Steirischer Schlier", are clayey up to fine sandy, gray-green coloured marls including plant fossils and sandstone interstratifications. 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. The soil of the Single Vineyard Pössnitzberger Kapelle I is rather poor and less deep compared to the rest of the vineyards on the Pössnitzberg.