Hannes Sabathi - Ried Kranachberg Sauvignon Blanc 2017

Rich and smoky, modeled after the great wines of White Bordeaux, characterized by the salty elegance and structure of the soil. Ripe melon, passionfruit, and kiwi notes balance the grapefruit and mandarin citrus notes.

Vintage: 2017

Varietal: Sauvignon Blanc

Appellation: Südsteiermark DAC

Vineyard Designation: Ried Kranachberg STK Grosse Lage

Sulphur (SO2): 95 ppm

Sugar: Dry

Acid: 5.8 g/L

Production Size: 5,000 btls

Altitude: 550m (1804.5ft)

Vineyard Age: 17-27 Years

Residual Sugar: 0.9 g/L

Tannin: None

Alcohol: 13%

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

Vineyard Notes

Kranachberg is the name of the basin-shaped single vineyard with South-west exposure at 500 meters. The soil here consists of permeable pebbly sand, with no limestone content, and delivers fresh and salty minerality like nothing else. The wine's aromatic intensity is also a result of an expanded canopy needed to shield the grapes from a steeper angle of inclanation to the sun. This protects the grapes from sunburn and also increases photosynthesis to give the grapes that tropical ripeness. All grapes were hand harvested as dictated by the landscape.

Production Notes

Just prior to harvesting the entire vineyard, Hannes Sabathi picks a few bunches early and crushes them into small fermenters that he has strategically placed throughout each vineyard. The native yeasts found in those vineyards then inoculate each batch and those batches are used to inoculate the rest of the vineyard. This means each single vineyard wine is inoculated with only the yeasts indigenous to itself! The grapes are cold-soaked for 10-15 hours and a the native yeast fermentation takes place in barrel, with a bit of battonage throughout. The wine is matured for 18 months in 1500L barrels (75%) and 225L new barriques (25%).

Fun Fact

Since the 18th century the Kranachberg is part of the family property. Until the 70s it was mixed agriculture that was emphasised. Even though the soil was outstanding already back then, wine was no more than a minor matter so to say. Today the Kranachberg is considered the starting point of everything. 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 Sauvignon Blanc to especially stand out here. The Kranachberg Sauvignon Blanc is equivalent to a Grand Cru level wine in Burgundy or an Grosse Lage in German VDP classification. There are only 53 Grosse Lagen in Styria.

Food Pairing Notes

Sturgeon, Sae Bass, Chicken, Pork, Scallops, Escargot, Basil, Asian Citrus, Pad Thai, Tea Leaf Salad, Mint, Mango, Lime, Sour Cream & Onion Chips

Cuisines To Try With

Japanese, Thai, Burmese, Indian, French, Tropical Seafood, Austrian, Scandinavian, American