Exceptionally intense: green pepper, wild herbs and nettle, accompanied by umami hints of soy sauce and beefsteak tomato as well as exotic fruit of gooseberry and green mango.
Palate
Spicy, cool and refreshing, with invigorating acidity, fine tannins and a buoyant flow on the palate at a moderate 12.0% ABV.
Character
Young, enticing and clearly defined – a Sauvignon Blanc with herbal depth and vibrant freshness that bears the unmistakable signature of Styria.
Pairing
Excellent as an apéritif, with herb-driven vegetable dishes, asparagus, goat’s cheese or Asian-inspired dishes featuring fresh herbs.
Notes
The grapes come from vines around 15 years old growing on quartz, gravel and limestone soils; the South Styria DAC classification stands for an unadulterated expression of origin – here with an unusual umami spiciness on the nose.
Tasting note
Colour & appearance
Pale yellow with distinct green reflections – youthful, clear and cool in the glass.
Nose
Unusually intense for an entry-level wine: green pepper, wild herbs and nettle set the vegetal tone. Alongside this comes an intriguing umami component with hints of soy sauce and beef tomato. The exotic side is revealed by gooseberry and green mango – an aroma that immediately arouses curiosity.
Palate
Spicy, cool and refreshing, the wine glides across the tongue. A stimulating acidity provides structure, while a fine tannin ensures tension and length. Dry, slender and, at twelve per cent alcohol, of pleasing lightness.
Finish
Herbaceous and juicy, with a green-fruited aftertaste that once again recalls gooseberry and nettle.
Terroir & origin
The vines grow around Gamlitz in Southern Styria, on soils of quartz, gravel and limestone. There, in the microclimate between the Koralpe and the Slovenian border, the vineyards benefit from warm days and cool nights – conditions that lend Sauvignon Blanc its aromatic tension. Sattlerhof’s roughly 15-year-old vines are rooted in a landscape where gradients of up to 70 per cent make manual labour essential.
Grape variety & vinification
Sauvignon Blanc as a Südsteiermark DAC. Alexander and Andreas Sattler work according to the principle of minimal intervention: hand-picked grapes, gentle pressing, temperature-controlled fermentation in stainless steel tanks. This keeps the varietal character unadulterated – fruit and cool, spicy freshness take centre stage.
Food recommendations
A convincing apéritif, but also a serious everyday wine: with herb quark and chive bread, with asparagus with vinaigrette, with green Thai curry or goat’s cheese salad with mango. The umami notes call for sushi or a tomato and basil salad.
Special features
Kleine Gärten is the most direct introduction to Sattlerhof’s signature style: a Sauvignon that unites green spice and exotic fruit in a single glass without any heaviness. Since the 1980s, the Gamlitz estate has been one of the pioneers of Styrian Sauvignon’s success story – this wine shows why.
