Bullenheim in May 2023
Dear club members,
Gratitude,
be grateful for what was, what is and what is to come. I am convinced that gratitude brings more ease into life. Today I would like to tell you about the supposedly second most beautiful place on our wonderful planet. We're going to Austria today. More precisely, in southern Styria. In 2012 I was able to do my training there at the renowned Dreisiebner Stammhaus winery in Sulztal. An incredibly valuable time in which I was able to learn how complex and spicy white wines are made. Since then, we have made it a habit at home to visit this breathtaking wine region once a year. I am also very grateful that I now know some of my fellow winemakers there very well and that we have a lively exchange.
It is a great pleasure for me to be able to introduce Reinhard Muster in this wine package. Reinhard and I met a while ago at a wine tasting with a mutual wine partner. The MUSTER.gamlitz winery stands for precise varietal wines that reflect their crystal-clear southern Styrian origins and are always produced in harmony with nature. His GRUBTHAL vineyard is one of the absolute top locations in Styria. Reinhard has now developed the family winery into one of the best-known and largest wineries in Styria. A remarkable achievement. For me, Reinhard is not only a role model, but also an exceptional winemaker who produces world-class wines with a lot of skill, ability, passion and positive energy. It makes me all the more honored that I can introduce you to his ILLYR Sauvignon Blanc today.
What's just as exciting as it is exciting to taste is that I'm putting my current flagship, my First Flight Scheurebe, next to it. Scheurebe & Sauvignon, Franconia & Southern Styria, First Flight & Illyr. A wine package that I've been looking forward to for a long time. We write “The home of the Scheurebe” on our noses and at the same time for me it is the German Sauvignon Blanc. Even if the Scheurebe is always the more delicate wine, it is incredibly exciting to taste these two calibers side by side.
2021 SAMPLE.gamlitz Sauvignon Blanc Illyr
ILLYR – WEATHER ONE YEAR
The spirited Illyrian weather always brings the respective grape variety characteristics radiantly into the bottle. We now want to pay homage to the weather on the label and are now calling the Reverenz series ILLYR. We combine the ripest grapes, which are most affected by the weather throughout the year, in a selection - the ILLYR wines. The wines mature in various wooden barrels and stainless steel tanks until they are ready for the bottle and are bottled the following year of harvest.
Expressive, refined and fruity, the spirit of the 2021 vintage. The body is athletic and muscular. Intense bouquet of peppers, cassis, gooseberries, herbal spices underlined with fine nuances of fresh lime. Cool elegance, very precise, the subtle minerality and a vibrant structure result in an elegant, never-ending finish. This is what southern Styria tastes like.
2021 Scheurebe Bullenheimer Paradies /// First Flight
Today I can harvest grapes from vines that Grandpa Werner planted more than 60 years ago. My Scheurebe First Flight comes from these very old vines. Deeply rooted in the spicy Gipskeuber soil, this year we were able to harvest rich and very mineral Scheurebe grapes. My first flight wines are wines that you can play with. Every 5 minutes you can see an exciting new version of the wine both in the nose and in the taste. Real drinking fun, right?
Welcome to the tropics! Ripe mango, honey, pineapple and peach come together. Surprise in the mouth because although juicy, it is bone dry and has a fantastic grip.
Nice to know: In terms of the number of vineyards, Styria is roughly the same size as Franconia.
I wish you a lot of fun and a great day with the wines.
Have fun trying it out!
Your favorite winemaker
