Weissburgunder Sand und Schiefer

Weissburgunder Sand und Schiefer 2022

Region: Styria, Austria

Grape: 100% Weissburgunder

Category : White

Discover the best value white wine from the holy land of Steiermark!

I am a huge fan of Austrian wines (mostly Steiermark), and was surprised at the price...Beautiful green-yellow color, aromas of fruit blossoms, pear, and lemon peel.
Juicy yellow apple fruit with a nice acidity.
A well-balanced white wine with excellent value for money.

22 was a year with a warm fall. After harvesting in late September, the grapes were destemmed and pressed, 70% in foudres and 30% in stainless steel tanks for 13 months of fermentation and aging.

[Producer information]

The village of Kitzeck is located in the wine-producing region of Sausal, the highest point in the Styrian region of Austria.
The Schauer family owns several single vineyards on steep slopes at dizzying altitudes, and they have pursued sustainable agriculture and elegant, fine winemaking.
Our cellar and fields are located at an altitude of 564m, surrounded by mountains and steeply sloping fields, and we also run a Buschenschang (a traditional tavern, similar to a Heuriger) and a guesthouse nearby.

They have been producing wine here since 1757, and all of their cultivated single vineyards are shown on a map made during the Habsburg land survey of 1763, so their long and prestigious history is proven by reliable sources.
Currently, the two brothers, Stephan and Bernhard, are the central figures of the winery. The two passionate brothers always work together in the fields and in the cellar. The younger brother, Bernhard, is mainly in charge of the fields, while the older brother is mainly in charge of winemaking. Apart from seasonal workers such as harvesting, the only other employees working at the family-run winery are their father and one other employee.
The fields currently cover a total of 25 hectares, of which 3 hectares are already practicing organic farming.
Of course, we harvest by hand and carefully select the grapes, always striving to produce high-quality, refined wines.

The major varieties of Steiermark, which is famous all over the world, are Sauvignon Blanc and Riesling. The Schauer family, of course, treasures these varieties very much, and Sauvignon Blanc accounts for 30% of the total. Next comes Riesling at 25%, followed by Welschriesling (Riesling Italian), Gelbaumskaterer, Weissburgunder (Pinot Blanc), Grauburgunder (Pinot Gris), and Morillon (Chardonnay).
What makes the Sausal region decisively different from other Südsteiermark regions is its terroir. The steep slope of the land, which can reach a maximum of 90 degrees (though there are no vineyards on land with a steep slope of 90 degrees), was formed in the Paleozoic era 3 million years ago and is made of slate soil called phyllite. And of course, the characteristics of the altitude of nearly 600 meters are also strongly reflected in the vineyards.
The high altitude allows the grapes to grow slowly over time due to the temperature difference between day and night. The grapes ripen well while maintaining a good balance of good acidity, and the soil allows them to accumulate good minerals, freshness, and a characteristic deep, spicy flavor.

Fermentation is basically done in stainless steel tanks, and except for some cuvées (three standard cuvées bearing the "Südsteiermark" name), natural yeast is used for fermentation, and no artificial yeast is used at all. Sulfites are added only in small amounts either during fermentation or before bottling.
For Stephan and Bernhard, the most important thing in winemaking is to take the vineyards seriously, which means protecting the historic land in a healthy state. While running a winery is important, they place sustainability at the core of their lives, never using herbicides, pesticides or chemical fertilizers in the fields, and they consider it their greatest mission in life to pass on this terroir in its original form to future generations.