Ried Sulz Morillon Erste STK Lage 2017

The Ried Sulz Morillon 2017 is a single-varietal Chardonnay from one of the Erste STK Lagen of Southern Styria, deep, long and strikingly juicy. In the glass it shows pale golden yellow with subtle green reflections. The nose opens with garden herbs and fennel, then unfolds into ripe orange with its zest, lemongrass, yellow apple and light tobacco, underpinned by crushed stone.

Ried Sulz is a closed, rather warm cauldron-shaped site at 380 to 490 metres above sea level, with soils of loamy Opok limestone marl. In the Kriewetz sub-site, chalky limestone rock is added; with vines planted in the 1960s, it is the oldest parcel. The Tement estate is based in Ehrenhausen and cultivates nearly 100 hectares on the steep slopes of Southern Styria.

Single-varietal Chardonnay, labelled as Morillon. The wine fermented spontaneously down to 1.5 grams of residual sugar at 6.0 grams of acidity, then rested for 24 months on the fine lees in neutral barriques. It was bottled unfiltered, at 13.0% Vol.

The wine gains power without losing finesse: first a red-berry note, then dried fruit, dried garden herbs, juniper and a touch of wood and tobacco. The creamy texture gains grip from a hint of tannin and feels silky; the acidity is barely noticeable at first but keeps the wine in balance. The finish is long and juicy.

Recommended with crispy roasted wild duck with orange chicory, surf & turf and celery gratin with white truffles.

Manfred Tement took over the estate in 1976 with three hectares and founded the Steirische Klassik (STK) in 1986. Since 2005, Armin Tement has been responsible for viticulture and cellar work, with his brother Stefan part of the estate since 2010. The conversion to biodynamic farming began in 2017 and was completed in 2022 with Demeter certification; the estate is a member of Respekt-BIODYN.