Summary
Weingut Erwin Sabathi in Pössnitz is one of the leading addresses in South Styria (Südsteiermark). Across around 39 hectares – of which roughly 23 hectares on the extremely steep Pössnitzberg – it produces white wine only, above all Sauvignon Blanc and Chardonnay (Morillon). The Sabathi wine-growing family has been rooted in the region since around 1650; Erwin Sabathi has run the estate since the early 2000s. His style is all about origin: spontaneous fermentation with the vineyard's own natural yeasts, organic farming and long ageing in wooden casks give deep, long-lived single-vineyard wines.
History
The Sabathi wine-growing family has been resident in Pössnitz since around 1650 and thus looks back on a winemaking tradition grown over centuries. Today's estate director Erwin Sabathi joined the winery in 1992 and took over its management in the early 2000s.
Under Erwin Sabathi the estate was consistently oriented towards origin and quality: organic farming, hand-picking on the steep slopes and an uncompromising focus on the best sites. Together with his family he built the winery into one of South Styria's internationally noted flagships. In 2013 Erwin Sabathi was admitted to the circle of the Steirische Terroir & Klassikweingüter (STK).
Location & Terroir
The heart of the estate is the Pössnitzberg, one of Austria's southernmost sites right on the border with Slovenia. The slopes are extremely steep – in places up to around 75 percent gradient – and can only be worked by hand. Decisive is the calcareous marl soil, called Opok in Styria, which gives the wines minerality, saltiness and structure.
South Styria's cool, humid climate with large day–night differences ensures slow ripening, fine aromatics and lively acidity. This combination of steep site, Opok and climate is the basis for the precision and ageing capacity of the wines.
Style & Philosophy
Erwin Sabathi works in a markedly natural and terroir-oriented way. The grapes are hand-picked, the musts fermented spontaneously with the vineyard's own natural yeasts; the estate dispenses with cultured yeasts and enzymes. Farming is organic. The top sites age for a long time in wooden casks, giving the wines depth, texture and longevity.
Stylistically a precise, origin-driven Sauvignon Blanc and a Burgundian-styled Chardonnay (Morillon) are at the centre. The all-white range is rounded out by Welschriesling, Gelber Muskateller, Weißburgunder and Grauburgunder – from the fresh regional wine to the great single-vineyard wine.
Notable Sites & Wines
The range is clearly tiered through the STK system: from the accessible Steirische Klassik through the Erste STK Ried to the Große STK Ried. Among the best-known sites and wines are:
- Ried Pössnitzberg – the heart of the estate, a Große STK Ried
- Pössnitzberger Kapelle – Sauvignon Blanc and Chardonnay from the finest part of the hill, the international flagships
- 'Old vines' – wines from the oldest vines on the Pössnitzberg
- Erste STK sites such as Poharnig (a monopole), Krepskogel and Jägerberg
These wines regularly rank among the highest-rated white wines in Austria.
Awards
For years, Erwin Sabathi's wines have received top marks in the leading wine guides and tastings (including Falstaff and wein.plus). The Sauvignon Blancs and Chardonnays from the Pössnitzberg in particular are regarded as a benchmark for South Styria and rank among the country's acknowledged best whites. The estate has thus become an international ambassador for top-quality Styrian white wine.