Werlitsch "Ex Vero II"

Grapes: Sauvignon Blanc + Morillon (Chardonnay)

Region: Styria, Austria

Vintage: 2020

Viticulture: Biodynamic

Soils: Higher parcels where the soil has fewer nutrients and retains less water controlling vine vigor and forcing the roots deeper into the earth, yielding fruit with more complexity and finesse.

Aging: 2 yrs in large 3 yr old French, Croatian, and Hungarian oak barrels

Fining or Filtering: None

Sulfur: None

Notes from the Importer: The wine is at first very flinty, floral, leesy on the nose with tart, high-tones of green apple, yellow pear, and underripe pineapple on the palate. The wine has a fullness yet is incredibly stony, with very high acidity--think flint of a Sancerre mixed with the petrol notes of an Alsatian Riesling and the crisp, stoniness and tree fruits of a Chablis.

The second in the Ex Vero series, this Sauvignon + Chardonnay blend comes from vines planted on higher parcels where the soil is less dense and contains less nutrients. The poorer soils here retain less water which controls the vigour of the vines and forces the roots to bury deeper into the earth, yielding fruit with more complexity and finesse. The fruit is hand harvested, spontaneously fermented in stainless steel, and aged for two years in large 3 year old oak barrels.