"This is a reliably excellent producer with some of the finest Styrian wines." - Stephan Reinhardt, Wine Advocate
Southern Austria's Styria region, also known as Südsteiermark, has always been an insider's secret among Austrian wine lovers. These are some of the most dramatic vineyards in the country, and their ancient soils are highly suited to a wide range of varietals, but it's the notable trio of Riesling, Chardonnay, and Sauvignon Blanc that really define the highest quality tiers here. In fact, Sauvignon Blanc is arguably the region's calling card, and Weingut Wohlmuth is an under-the-radar star in the region, thanks to theirs, which are praised for their combination of "radiant fruit, power and intensity" by Wine Advocate's Stephan Reinhardt.
Their village vineyards around Kitzeck-Sausal are highly prized for the 400 million-year-old phyllitic slate soils, and the 94-point 2022 Kitzeck-Sausal Sauvignon Blanc is a classic expression of the estate's style and the varietal's character in this part of the world. Better yet, no Sauv Blanc fan should miss the jaw-dropping, 98-point 2022 Ried Edelschuh Sauvignon Blanc. "So deep yet so delicate" and playing on par with the world's very finest expressions, it's a collectible-caliber wine from an unequivocal grand cru site.
Of course, this being Austria, Riesling is a foundational part of Styria's DNA, and Wohlmuth's 2021s are singularly expressive in that regard. The Dr. Wunsch vineyard has hundreds of years of history, but was only recently reclaimed and laboriously recultivated by the estate, bringing it back to its revered potential of generations past. The 2021 is a WA94, sub-$35 standout that's "dense, juicy and salty, showing crystalline acidity as well as enormous power and length with corresponding tannin structure, yet also elegance and finesse." Finally, the same Ried Edelschuh that produces the stunning Sauv Blanc mentioned above also produces a grand-cru caliber Riesling with "tension, grip and energy but also balance" to the tune of 95 points from Reinhardt.
Austria has always been a source of some the best quality for the price in the Old World, and offering like these from Wohlmuth only reinforce the idea that any serious wine lover who prizes authentic terroir and unbeatable class should be digging deep into the country's incredible trove of new discoveries.
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