Sauvignon Blanc Fosilni Breg Reserve 2018 (0.75l)

Ciringa is the Slovenian side of the top southern Styrian vineyard Zieregg. A few years ago, the Tement winery began releasing comparatively affordable Sauvignon Blancs here, which easily rival their counterparts on the Austrian side of the border. Fosilni Breg (in German: Fossil Mountain) refers to the coral limestone soil, interspersed with fossilized corals and marine animals, which forms the basis for these barren and stony Sauvignon Blancs.

The reserve version of Fosilni Breg is only vinified in special vintages and from the best grapes. The 2017 vintage has already reached a beautiful level of maturity and is approachable. Aged for 42 months in large, used oak barrels, then bottled unfiltered. The wine jumps straight out of the glass with an abundance of herbal spice and tart citrus notes. Totally fresh and herbal, but also funky, very typical of the combination of Sauvignon Blanc, Styria, and Tement. On the palate, the acidity is present, yet ripe and well-integrated, with a good amount of tannins that blend wonderfully with the wine's slightly creamy structure. There's a lot going on here, it completely absorbs the palate; there's the freshness of the acidity and tannins, the creamy richness, then a wave of salty piquancy that rolls in with herbs and ripe citrus notes on the finish. This is a mouthful of wine, a real blast. The development from the "simple" Fosilni Breg with its robust freshness to the Reserve is clearly discernible; there's simply more depth, richness, and structure here. At the same time, however, the Reserve's maturity and long aging in wood make it so approachable and, despite all its freakish intensity, also charming. As always with Tement's great Sauvignons, the same applies here: you have to like it. But if you do, you're in heaven!