Silicium

Silicium 2023

Region: Austria, Styria

Grape: Morillon (Chardonnay) 50%, Riesling 50%

Color: Orange

Long-awaited arrival! Styria, the holy land, still has stars.

I reunited with the producer of Schnabel at a Tokyo tasting event six months ago.
It had been about three years since I last saw him in France, but Karl's unchanging smile and warm personality were very comforting. I absolutly love  his white and orange wines, are exquisite... and now they've finally arrived.

A viscous, golden color, with aromas of orange, apricot, caramel, and marron glacé. Dry yet rich, with a deep and complex flavor that lingers on the palate, followed by a pleasant tannic finish.

Morillon (Chardonnay) and Riesling from slate soil are destemmed and pressed, then macerated and fermented in open stainless steel tanks and wooden open vats, followed by 12 months of aging in old barrels.
Unfiltered, unfined, no added SO2.


At the Tokyo tasting event in winter 2025.

【Producer Information】

In the southern part of Austria, in Südsteiermark, the vineyard and winery are located on Sausal Mountain. Karl and Eva, a husband and wife team, handle all the vineyard work and winemaking, and they have three sons. Karl studied agricultural management at the University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences in Vienna, and Eva studied business administration at the University of Economics. In 1997 and 1998, they gained practical knowledge and experience in winemaking in Burgundy, and upon returning home, they established their own vineyard and winery on Sausal Mountain.
They currently have 5 hectares of vineyards on steep hillsides, primarily planted with red grapes. From the beginning, they have farmed according to biodynamic principles, and by 2003, they had already obtained Demeter certification.
The soil in Sausal consists of siliceous primary rock and limestone particles in a slate-like (plate-like stone) form. This siliceous soil brings a rich minerality to the wine and also has a heat-retaining effect, giving the grapes rich fruitiness.
They are particular about mixing their own preparation agents to spread in the fields, using nettles, horse tails, valerian, cattle horns, etc., harvested from their own fields and pastures. These are applied to vitalize the fields, promote photosynthesis, protect against pathogens, or used as compost.
The winemaking is 100% simple. He says it's just about fermenting completely healthy and ripe grapes, relying solely on the power of the natural yeasts that live in the vineyard.
This means no human intervention such as chaptalization, acidification, added yeast, or antioxidants, nor any intentional removal processes like fining or filtration. Pigeage is done by hand, and no pumps are used. All wines are fermented and aged in 227L Burgundy barrels.

"Schnabel says, 'We have been connected to the earth through winemaking and livestock (cattle). We are merely guests on this rich earth, in nature, and we are only borrowing this rich land from our descendants. We believe that we must pass on this land to the next generation in a better and richer state. All farmers, indeed all landowners, each piece of land they possess is part of this earth, and everyone has a responsibility for that land. To not destroy that land, to protect and nurture its abundant plants. To cherish and protect it, to leave it as it truly is. We believe we have such a duty. Our daily actions and practices stem from these words embedded in our DNA.'"

"Be a true farmer."

"Instead of facing and following the trends of the time, our lives are for the abundant land, for the wines that are natural products of high cultural value, and for the drinkers who love them."