Tement, Manfred - Sauvignon Blanc Grassnitzberg Erste Lage 2017

THE WINE ADVOCATE: "Bottled in February 2019, the 2017 Ried Grassnitzberg Sauvignon Blanc is from Tement's coolest vineyard, where Manfred Tement started the Sauvignon Blanc revolution in South Styria (when the grape was called Muscat-Sylvaner and had a very bad image). The nose is impressive in its deep, pure, fresh and complex, tightly knit generosity that reveals a coolish lime and lemon bouquet interwoven with flinty notes of crushed limestone rocks and even charming floral notes, white cassis, melissa, stinging nettle and green tea aromas. Full-bodied, round and highly finessed, with a coolish, seamless silky texture and a firm, persistently salty and crunchy-crystalline structure, this is a great and expressive Grassnitzberg that has never been better, more complex and spellbinding. The 2017 already shows its class, but you would waste the very best if you drank it too soon. This is a great, endlessly salty and tensioned Sauvignon Blanc with challenging but ripe and stimulating phenols (12-18 hours of maceration). Stay patient but buy first. Tasted in May 2019."

FALSTAFF: "Helles Gelbgrün, Silberreflexe. Zarte Mandarinenzesten, ein Hauch von gelber Tropenfrucht, dunkle Mineralität, feinwürziges Bukett. Straff, engmaschig, weiße Frucht, salzige Struktur, feine Stachelbeernuancen im Abgang, Limettentouch, sehr pikant, bleibt sehr lange haften, der wohl beste Grassnitzberg bislang."

WINE ENTHUSIAST: "A yeasty, reductive funk still sits on the nose but allows glimpses of ripe apricot laced with vivid lime and overtones of fern. The palate is tight and taut, zesty and bright, concentrated and incisive. All is anchored in stony, citric depth that promises to mellow into charming creaminess with a little more bottle age. Drink now–2035."

JANCIS ROBINSON: "Markedly stony aroma but piercingly fresh aroma that is both grapefruit and the smoky/fumy notes of spontaneous fermentation. Mouth-wateringly fresh and tense, really tight but also very long. Precision and purity and extremely salty on the finish."

JAMES SUCKLING: "Touch of white smoke to the overtures of white pepper, barley and green apples. Medium body, racy acidity and a taut, lemon-soaked finish. Drink now."

WINE SPECTATOR: "Very racy and fresh, with gorgeous lemon verbena, gooseberry and lemon notes. Flinty mineral elements and acidity create a firm backbone. Harmonious and long. Best from 2020 through 2027."