Ried Wielitschberg Morillon
⏳ Drinking Window
Typically best enjoyed 4–12 years from release.
🍽️ Food & Wine Pairings
Pan-roasted Arctic char with brown butter and capers, creamy wild mushroom risotto, or roasted veal loin with parsnip purée.
✨ Technical Specifications
Grown on the steep, south to southwest-facing slopes of Ried Wielitschberg near Berghausen, this single-vineyard Morillon (Chardonnay) draws distinct mineral depth from limestone-rich marl and Opok soils intertwined with marine gravel deposits. Spontaneous fermentation relies exclusively on indigenous yeasts in large neutral wooden casks, followed by prolonged maturation on the fine lees without battonage, fining, or heavy filtration. The resulting wine emphasizes structural tension, chalky texture, and crystalline alpine freshness rather than overt fruitiness.
🍾 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
Chardonnay
🍷 ABV
13.0%