Bottler: Tement GmbH, Zieregg 13, A-8461 Ehrenhausen / Austria
In the glass
Colour
Bright straw yellow with greenish reflections.
Nose
Ripe gooseberry, grapefruit and elderflower, accompanied by delicate herbal spice and a hint of flint.
Palate
Juicy citrus fruit meets taut acidity, cool minerality and a long, saline finish.
Character
Powerful yet cool, with a clear structure and palpable depth.
Pairing
Asparagus with hollandaise sauce, pan-fried pike-perch with herbs, sushi with avocado.
Notes
Late bottling with additional maturation time, lending the wine greater complexity and density.
Tasting note
Character
A Sauvignon Blanc of rare patience: the Spätfüllung (late release) demonstrates Tement’s confidence in the ageing potential of Styrian white wines. Three years after harvest, the 2021 vintage reveals a stage where primary fruit recedes, allowing more complex notes of herbs, white pepper and toasted nuts to take centre stage. The acidity – a hallmark of the estate – remains present, yet is enveloped in a texture that has gained depth through extended lees contact. A wine for those seeking Sauvignon Blanc beyond youthful freshness.
Terroir & Origin
Ehrenhausen lies in the heart of Southern Styria, where the Tement estate has been rooted since 1959. Calcareous soils and steep slopes define a style that has brought the region international renown. Manfred Tement recognised early on the potential of this combination of limestone and cool climate – today the family cultivates nearly 100 hectares on both sides of the Slovenian border. The vineyard sites around Ehrenhausen rank among Austria’s most demanding, with gradients so steep that mechanisation is impossible.
Grape Variety & Vinification
Sauvignon Blanc has found a second home in Southern Styria. Since 2022, Tement has farmed entirely biodynamically according to Demeter guidelines; restraint prevails in the cellar: spontaneous fermentation, prolonged lees contact and large wooden casks rather than small barriques. The Spätfüllung extends this maturation process – the wine remains in the cellar longer before bottling. The result is a Sauvignon Blanc that preserves varietal typicity yet, through time and patience, gains an additional dimension reminiscent of great white wines.
Food Pairings
The mature structure calls for more substantial companions than young Sauvignon Blanc. Poached turbot with beurre blanc, fried veal sweetbreads or Styrian fried chicken with potato salad provide fitting counterpoints. The wine also excels alongside mature hard cheese or mushroom dishes – such as porcini with polenta. Its acidity cuts through richness, while the evolved aromas find echoes in roasted and earthy components.
