Wine & Spirits - Spring 2022 - 75

the region, around 1,000 feet in altitude. It
seems to gather the coolness of the air at that
height in tangy, vibrant acidity that balances
its broad, earthy density. The flavors are
savory and spicy, almost grüner-like in their
peppery spice, but more satiny in texture,
with notes of white tea, preserved lemon and
raspberry that create fascinating complexities.
§ The Sorting Table, Napa, CA
SAUVIGNON BLANC
96 | Hannes Sabathi
$0
2017 Südsteiermark Ried Kranachberg
Reserve Sauvignon Blanc ^ This is a reserve
selection from the Kranachberg vineyard, a
steep parcel of gravel and calcareous soils
that sits at nearly 1,650 feet in elevation
in southern Styria. The wine feels like it's
absorbed the region's abundant sun in its
warm, round, mouthfilling golden-apple
fruit while balancing it with breezy acidity.
It's toasty and leesy, too, but what makes the
biggest impression is the way the fruit flavors
reverberate off the chalky mineral base, clear
and fresh, made more savory and substantial
by the hints of caramel maturity flirting
around the edges. § Bliss Wine Imports, Napa,
CA
95 | Hannes Sabathi
$0
2019 Südsteiermark Ried Kranachberg
Sauvignon Blanc ^ This feels like fresh
spring air, crisp and cool, with gentle wildflower
scents. The bracing acidity enlivens
the grassy, herbal fruit, and draws out a
pleasantly peppery edge. Underneath it all,
a firm, rooty earthiness gives the wine a sense
of breadth and staying power. It's firm and
elegant, a sauvignon blanc with personality. §
Bliss Wine Imports, Napa, CA
94 | Tement
$38
2018 Südsteiermark Ried Grassnitzberg
Sauvignon Blanc ^ Under the reductive
flinty scents this is a zesty sauvignon with a
cracker-like snap to its green, grassy flavors
and a juicy vivacity to its lemon-lime fruit.
Youthful right now, this has the structure to
take on more complexity with age, building
on the subtle mineral hints that underline
the fruit. § David Bowler Wines, NY
93 | Schauer
$30
2020 Sudsteiermark Kitzeck-Sausal Sauvignon
Blanc ^ Brothers Stefan and Bernhard
Schauer consider this their signature
sauvignon blanc, sourced from a vineyard
of red slate that rises to 1,903 feet in elevation.
Fermented with ambient yeasts in large
used wooden barrels, the wine feels plush
and round, with a lemon-curd richness. And
yet it's firm, with umami notes of earth and
mineral and a phenolic grip. The wine holds
strong for days after opening, as it is sure to
last in the cellar as well. § The Sorting Table,
Napa, CA
ROSÉ
92 | Kolfok
$40
2019 Mittelburgenland Querschnitt Pinot
Noir Rosé ^ The Wellanschitzes have the only
patch of pinot noir in their region, possibly
accidental when it went in the ground 40
years ago. Stefan Wellanschitz farms it under
organics and ferments the juice in barrels,
then lets it sit on the full lees without moving
it for months. The result is a grand wine,
firm and savory, its gauzy cherry flavors suffused
with a flinty smokiness. It feels almost
meaty, and yet the flavors are detailed and
delicate, transparent enough to pair with
sushi. § Winemonger, San Anselmo, CA
RED
96 | Moric
$145
2017 Burgenland Lutzmannsburg Alte
Reben Blaufränkisch ^ Blaufränkisch in a
Burgundy mode, this draws attention with
its floral spice, flinty smokiness, and velvety
cherry fruit. Its gauzy texture keeps up that
impression, but the flavors head deep into
the mountains of Burgenland, reflecting the
warm granite slopes in its mix of ripeness and
firm, earthy savor. It's a fascinating trip, and
entirely satisfying, especially as it drifts into
the long finish, meandering through forested
hills, berry thickets and wildflower plains.
Roland Velich makes it from the fruit of old,
low-yielding vines on a high, stony plateau
in the Leitha mountains, fermented on the
skins in open vats with ambient yeasts, then
aged in large, old casks for a year. Delicious
now, this will age well for a decade or more. §
Winemonger, San Anselmo, CA
95 | Rosi Schuster
$23
2019 Burgenland Blaufränkisch (BEST BUY) ^
Hannes Schuster is keeping up the reputation
his mother developed for blaufränkisch
in Burgenland with this wine, a complex,
elegant take on the variety from the family's
certified-organic vineyards. Fermented with
ambient yeasts in open-top vats and aged in
used 500-liter Stockinger barrels, it's deep,
dark, black and blau in flavor, saturated but
not sweet. A sense of wet stone adds a deep
mineral savor and keeps the fruit firm and
fresh for days after opening. § Winemonger,
San Anselmo, CA
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Wine & Spirits - Spring 2022

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