Winemaker Notes
Light yellow-green with silver reflections. A subtle hint of grapefruit zest, ripe gooseberries, nuances of cassis, yellow tropical fruit, and a hint of blossom honey. Medium body with notes of fine white fruit, subtle extract sweetness, precise slate touch, elegant and adhesive, with finesse-rich acid curve and mineral-lemony notes in the aftertaste. Very good length and good aging potential.
Ideal pairings include crispy fried pikeperch on pea purée, curd cheese, and vegetable ravioli.
Professional Ratings
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Wine Enthusiast
The nose is still shy, giving very little away. The palate, however, reverberates with in tones of candied lime, grapefruit zest, citrus leaf, nettle and angelica. Freshness, lift, and profound, stony depths can be found in one slender package. Drink by 2050. Cellar Selection.
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
Still tasted as a sample (yet of the final blend), the 2019 Ried Steinriegl Sauvignon Blanc from 30+-year-old vines on barren red slate and quartz soils offers a pure yet intense and iron-scented bouquet of wet stones, herbal notes and coolish-elegant fruit that is so subtle and complex that this Sauvignon could be Riesling. Vinified in large oak casks and some 500-liter barrels, this is a full-bodied, piquant and pure Sauvignon with fine mineral grip and stimulating citrus fruit bitters on the finish. This is an impressive vin de terroir with lingering salinity and endless elegance. Fabulous.
Barrel Sample: 93-94
Capable of a vast array of styles, Sauvignon Blanc is a crisp, refreshing variety that equally reflects both terroir and varietal character. Though it can vary depending on where it is grown, a couple of commonalities always exist—namely, zesty acidity and intense aromatics. This variety is of French provenance. Somm Secret—Along with Cabernet Franc, Sauvignon Blanc is a proud parent of Cabernet Sauvignon. That green bell pepper aroma that all three varieties share is no coincidence—it comes from a high concentration of pyrazines (herbaceous aromatic compounds) inherent to each member of the family.
Appreciated for superior wines made from indigenous varieties, Austria should be on the radar of any curious wine drinker. A rather cool and dry wine growing region, this country produces wine that is quintessentially European in style: food-friendly with racy acidity, moderate alcohol and fresh fruit flavors.
Austria’s viticultural history is rich and vast, dating back to Celtic tribes with first written record of winemaking starting with the Romans. But the 20th century brought Austria a series of winemaking obstacles, namely the plunder of both world wars, as well as its own self-imposed quality breach. In the mid 1980s, after a handful of shameless vintners were found to have added diethylene glycol (a toxic substance) to their sweet wines to imitate the unctuous qualities imparted by botrytis, Austria’s credibility as a wine-producing country was compromised. While no one was harmed, the incident forced the country to rebound and recover stronger than ever. By the 1990s, Austria was back on the playing field with exports and today is prized globally for its quality standards and dedication to purity and excellence.
Grüner Veltliner, known for its racy acidity and herbal, peppery aromatics, is Austria's most important white variety, comprising nearly a third of Austrian plantings. Riesling in Austria is high in quality but not quantity, planted on less than 5% of the country’s vineyard land. Austrian Rieslings are almost always dry and are full of bright citrus flavors and good acidity. Red varietal wines include the tart and peppery Zweigelt, spicy and dense Blaufränkisch and juicy Saint Laurent. These red varieties are also sometimes blended.