NUMEN Muskateller 2021

Wine Description for NUMEN Muskateller 2021 by Johannes Zillinger

Colour & Appearance

A rather cloudy, pale golden yellow – unfiltered and unadorned, as befits a wine of this philosophy. The cloudiness is not a flaw, but a statement of intent.

Nose

A Muskateller nose with depth and character. Roses, muscat and grapefruit zest form the aromatic foundation, joined by bitter oranges and lime zest. With air, the wine opens to something unexpected: baked celery, fresh garden herbs and wet, burnt clay lend the bouquet an almost meditative complexity. Intense, but never loud.

Palate

The entry is silky and grippy, carried by a pronounced yet never intrusive tannin – the unmistakable hallmark of skin fermentation. The acidity unfolds gradually, becoming increasingly present and lending the wine tension and backbone. Floral notes and a clear, citric fruit keep the muscat aromatics alive, whilst piquant, bitter zest notes provide spice. Dense and lean at once, saline, taut and of considerable length.

Finish

Long, mineral and invigorating. The saline texture and lively acidity carry the wine far beyond the final sip. A finish that invites contemplation.

Grape Variety & Vinification

From a proprietary selection of Muscat à Petit Grains vines, harvested on 9 September 2021 at physiological ripeness. Fermentation took place as intracellular skin fermentation over ten days in a Kvevri – the Georgian clay vessel. The wine subsequently aged 14 months on the lees in 600-litre tonneaux, with 10% fresh berries, without any intervention. Bottled in February 2023, unrefined, with merely 35 mg/L sulphites. pH 3.36, residual sugar 1 g/L – crafted with precision, natural by conviction.

Food Pairing Suggestions

A wine for adventurous cooking: Grilled tuna with spicy watermelon and carrot-yuzu salad plays with the citric and saline elements of the wine. Fennel and citron salad with sumac echoes the floral and bitter nuances. And squid stuffed with chard, fennel seeds, cherry tomatoes and anchovies brings the necessary depth to engage with the tannins.

Special Characteristics

Johannes Zillinger is among the most consistent natural wine pioneers of the Weinviertel. The NUMEN Muskateller exemplifies his approach: minimal intervention, maximum expressiveness. An orange wine that redefines the boundaries of its grape variety – whilst remaining thoroughly drinkable.