Ried Pössnitzberg Alte Reben® Chardonnay 2017 Große STK Ried

Single Vineyard Pössnitzberg Alte Reben Chardonnay 2017 Grand Cru STK

Grape variety:
Chardonnay
Vintage:
2017
Awards:
98 A LA CARTE, 98 FALSTAFF, 96 PARKER points, 19 GAULT MILLAU points
Alcohol content:
13.5%vol
Total acid:
5.2g/l
Residual suggar:
0.3g/l
Vinification:
harvested by hand, spontaneously fermented with natural yeasts
Maturation:
18 months in small oak barrels
Drinking maturity:
15 years and longer
Bottle closure:
nature cork/organic cork, sorted by hand
Categorisation:
Große STK Ried (Grand Cru STK)
Wine-growing area/ single vineyard :
Single Vineyard Pössnitzberg
Local orientation:
a predominantly south-facing location forming a basin with eastern and western extensions and an inclination of up to 75% (the major part more than 50% of inclination)
Sea level:
420m–480m
Wine-growing region:
Southern Styria
Description of the wine:
scents of white peach and orange blossoms; a highbred, very bright character wine; silky and elegant at maximum intensity; strongly influenced by the barrenness of the vines and the soil; grinded stone with intense minerality; enormous saltiness creates impressions of sea air and oyster shells, calm harmonic finale
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
SOLD OUT
Clear
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 used for “Single Vineyard Pössnitzberg Alte Reben Chardonnay” are from the oldest vineyards of our top sites on the Pössnitzberg – “Alte Reben” means old vines. Our wines from Pössnitzberg, classified as “Große STK Ried” (Grand Cru STK), 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.

Ein vornehmer, ganz klarer, unverfälschter Charakterwein mit anregender Struktur,
stark geprägt von der Kargheit der Reben und des Bodens – enorm mineralisch.

An elegant, very clear and genuine wine with character and an animating structure,
characterised by the sparseness of the vines and by the poor soil – enormous minerality.


“Perfekt ‘steirisches’ Finish, großes Potential” (Willi Balanjuk, A LA CARTE)

“Perfect ‘styrian’ finish, great potential.” (Willi Balanjuk, A LA CARTE)


„Wer zu diesem Wein noch eine potenzielle Steigerung sucht, sucht nach dem
grandiosen Chardonnay Ried Pössnitzberger Kapelle…“
(Peter Moser)

Searching for a potential rise to this wine,
the grandiose ‘Single Vineyard Pössnitzberger Kapelle Chardonnay’ is found…”
(Peter Moser)