Perpetuum blanc 2020

Wine description for Perpetuum blanc 2020 by Johannes Zillinger

Colour & Appearance

Pale, slightly hazy golden yellow – a wine that reveals in the glass that no compromises have been made here. The natural cloudiness is by design, not a flaw.

Nose

A nose of extraordinary depth and individuality. Cellar apples and meadow honey open the play, followed by ripe yeast dough and beeswax – unmistakable signatures of flor ageing. Beneath shimmer ground almonds, a hint of blonde tobacco and walnut. With air, candied ginger, kumquat and a fresh note of verbena emerge. A bouquet that reinvents itself with every minute.

Palate

On the palate, a wine of impressive complexity and inner tension unfolds. The acidity is vital and precise, the mouthfeel silky-yeasty and sensual. Gooseberry, lime and grapefruit provide freshness and definition, whilst salted lemon and lemon balm weave in a Mediterranean spice. The wine coats the palate completely – dense, transparent and lively all at once.

Finish

Long, vibrant, unusually persistent. The aromas linger on the palate for minutes – a sign of genuine complexity and substance.

Grape Variety & Vinification

Pure Sauvignon Blanc, hand-harvested on 17 September 2020. The vinification is radical and consistent: 80% whole-bunch pressing, plus 20% intracellular fermentation in 500-litre amphorae over five days. Subsequently 12 months of ageing under flor yeast in old Champagne barrels. Total sulphur: merely 18 mg. A wine with minimal intervention and maximum expressiveness.

Terroir & Origin

The Weinviertel in its most concentrated, most honest form. With the Perpetuum, Zillinger distils the essence of his estate: the elegance of the Velues, the cool minerality of the Parcellaires and the density of the Numens – united in a single wine.

Food Pairing Suggestions

A wine for table and occasion alike. Ideal with grouper with fish roe beurre blanc, capers and fennel fronds, with elegant spring turnip carpaccio with elderflower syrup and gooseberry oil or with the aromatically kindred roasted chicken with salted lemon filling, capers and za’atar.

Special Features

The Perpetuum blanc is not a Sauvignon Blanc you know – it is one you have not yet tasted. The combination of amphora maceration and flor ageing bridges the gap between Roussillon and Jerez, whilst remaining unmistakably Austrian. A wine without pigeonholes, but with character.