Ried Zieregg IZ Reserve, Große STK Lage 2015

Wine Description for Ried Zieregg IZ Reserve Große STK Lage 2015 by Tement

Colour & Appearance

Luminous golden yellow with bright, vibrant reflections – a wine that, despite nearly a decade of maturity, shows no signs of fatigue whatsoever.

Nose

The nose is a kaleidoscope of rare complexity. Cardamom, saffron and curry immediately set an oriental-spicy tone that is as seductive as it is precise. Beneath this unfold ripe fruits – mirabelle plum, kiwi fruit and white peach – whilst nashi pear and grapefruit provide cool freshness. The leaves of kaffir lime lend the whole a herbal-citric depth. Brioche, butterscotch and spelt biscuits weave a warm, yeasty layer beneath. In the background whisper coriander seed, fennel and artichoke. A wine that never stops telling its story.

Palate

The first sip is a wake-up call: powerful, concentrated and of breathtaking energy. Yet this wine never feels loud – it is quiet, almost meditative in its grandeur. Minerality and salinity run through the palate like a backbone of stone, whilst the fruit oscillates between ripeness and freshness. The oriental spices return again and again, setting counterpoints. Stimulating rather than satiating – one wants more.

Finish

Long, saline and of extraordinary persistence. The spicy and mineral notes linger long after the final sip. A finish that reveals new facets the longer one listens to it.

Terroir & Origin

The Ried Zieregg in South Styria ranks among Austria’s most significant white wine vineyard sites. Its calcareous marl and coral limestone soils impart to the wine that stony depth and salinity which make it unmistakable. The Ried is divided into 16 individual parcels in order to do justice to its multifaceted terroir.

Grape Variety & Vinification

Sauvignon Blanc from the Große STK Lage, vinified according to the house’s own IZ® process (Intracellular Berry Fermentation): Over 100 days the berries ferment intracellularly within the healthy berry skin before the grapes are pressed. Subsequently the wine matured 54 months without added sulphur on fine lees in neutral oak barrels. In April 2020 it was drawn unfiltered into bottle – a process of extraordinary patience and precision.

Food Pairing Suggestions

This wine demands dishes of similar complexity: grilled turbot with saffron sauce, lobster bisque or an oriental-spiced lamb rack. Aged alpine cheese or scallops with curry butter would also be ideal companions.

Special Characteristics

A wine that redefines the boundaries of Sauvignon Blanc. The unique IZ® process, combined with nearly five years of lees ageing and one of Styria’s finest vineyard sites, yields a wine of museum quality – complex, timeless and of incomparable identity. Drinking beautifully now, but undoubtedly capable of ageing for years to come.