Ried Hochkittenberg Gelber Muskateller
⏳ Drinking Window
Typically best enjoyed 2–8 years from release
🍽️ Food & Wine Pairings
Pan-seared river trout with lemon brown butter, spicy green papaya salad, goat cheese tart with fresh herbs
✨ Technical Specifications
Perched at an elevation nearing 400 meters, Ried Hochkittenberg occupies steep terraces defined by red and brown gravels mixed with shale and sandy clay soils in the Sausal and surrounding Südsteiermark ridges. Crafted exclusively from Gelber Muskateller (Muscat Blanc à Petits Grains), this Erste STK Lage site benefits from dramatic alpine-influenced diurnal shifts that preserve pristine natural acidity while allowing physiological ripeness without excess sugar. Biodynamically farmed, the hand-harvested fruit undergoes spontaneous fermentation with indigenous yeasts followed by prolonged lees aging in neutral large oak casks and stainless steel, eschewing fining and heavy filtration to showcase a bone-dry, highly mineral, and savory interpretation of an aromatic cultivar.
🍾 About the Producer
Established in 1959 by Josef and Edina Tement, Weingut Tement rose to global acclaim under Manfred Tement, who transformed the family's modest holdings into an international benchmark for Austrian viticulture. Perched atop the rugged limestone ridge of Ried Zieregg along the border of Slovenia in Südsteiermark, the estate commands precipitous slopes composed of coralline limestone, marl, and schist. Today directed by Manfred alongside sons Armin and Stefan, the domaine converted fully to biodynamics, earning Demeter and respekt-BIODYN certifications. Cellar philosophy hinges on unhurried, low-intervention vinification, spontaneous native-yeast fermentations, neutral oak casks, and prolonged maturation on fine lees without fining or unnecessary filtration. The estate's benchmark bottlings—most notably Ried Zieregg Sauvignon Blanc, Ried Zieregg IZ Reserve, and site-driven expressions of Morillon and Weissburgunder—display tension, saline minerality, structural depth, and profound aging potential.
🍇 Grapes
Gelber Muskateller
🍷 ABV
11.5-12.5%