Chardonnay, Riesling, Sämling, Niederösterreich, Austria

Today we present to you a fresh and complex white, fit for impressing anyone and everyone (including your dang self). Johannes Zillinger took over his family's 350 year old Austrian winery in 2013. Already one of the first organic wineries in the region, Johannes converted the operation to fully certified biodynamics, a homeopathic and wholistic (and super challenging!) approach. His commitment to natural farming and winemaking has resulted in extraordinarily clean wines that are true expressions of their grapes. While we love all his wines, the solera range is something else. Most famous in sherry, but also in Champagne, a solera system involves fractional blending so the finished product is a mixture of many previous vintages, creating a complex, interesting and utterly unique house style. Johannes keeps each grape solera separate and then blends each year for the most delicious possible juice. This release is 50% Georgian Qvevri aged Chardonnay providing fruit, weight, texture, 25% Sämling adding floral character & 25% Riesling, the structural backbone there for acidity and a delightfully, rocky mouthfeel. Apricot slurry, Christmas spices, brioche & a whole lot of terra cotta coated history. Enjoy while planning your 2023 spring garden (yes, we miss warmth!) and wondering what else in your life should be based on a solera system if only for a chance to incorporate ‘fractional blending’ into your day to day vocabulary.