Hannes Sabathi - Gamlitz Grauburgunder 2021

This wine is driven by yellow apple, peach, and floral notes. It also has a distictive orange creamsicle note denoting the ripeness of the vintage. Be aware, this is not Italian Pinot Grigio, it is much more akin to the Pinot Gris of Alsace with its generosity and texture. The wine has some floral notes but generally comes off more marzipan and cashew than flowers. Interesting, balanced, delicious.

Vintage: 2021

Varietal: Pinot Gris

Appellation: Südsteiermark DAC

Sulphur (SO2): 114ppm, 50ppm free

Sugar: Dry

Acid: 5.5 g/L

Production Size: 3,000 btls

Altitude: 350m (1148.29ft)

Vineyard Age: 4-12 Years

Residual Sugar: 1.1 g/L

Tannin: None

Alcohol: %13.5

Soil Type(s): chalky base with sand and loam, facing south

Vineyard Notes

This year began with a long winter with a lot of snow and rain. The grapes were nearly perfect with a nice fruitiness and good acidity. Overall the yields were 1/3 less than average, but the quality was excellent! All in all 2021 was a great vintage with good ripeness, a pronounced freshness and huge flavor variety. All grapes were hand harvested as dictated by the landscape

Production Notes

Fermentation took place with the use of native yeasts in old 1500L barrels. The wine was then matured in neutral barrels on their full lees without sulfur addition for 6 months. The wine was then racked, sulfured, and matured on its fine lees for 2 more months. Before being bottled, the wine are fined one last time through a rocky substance called kieselguhr trapping any left solids in the micro-crystalline rock structure. The resulting wines are absolutely flawless with diamond-like brilliance to the eye.

Fun Fact

Grapes are grown organically on the sides of steep mountain slopes in the southern corner of the country. Styria (Steiermark) produces just 5% of Austria's wine, but even that number is impressive considering just a generation or two ago there was almost no grapes being grown here. In the past, people tried to plant grapes on the flat valley lands. Due to the humidity, these had bad rot problems. After the anti-freeze scandal of the mid 80s, folks began experimenting in the region. This led to vineyards being planted on mountain slopes at high elevation to combat humidity. A strong focus on international grapes has led Pinot Gris to be stand out here. Pinot Gris is known as Grauburgunder in Austria, a synonym it also has in Germany. The Gamlitz Grauburgunder is equivalent to a village level wine in Burgundy or an Ortswein in German VDP classification.

Food Pairing Notes

Tarte Tatin, Cauliflower Steaks, Chicken Pot Pie, Sunchokes, Vol-au-Vent, Potatoes, Onion Soup, Baked Potato with Cheese & Bacon, Apple Pie

Cuisines To Try With

French, American, Austrian, Alsatian, German