The cellar is warm from the day, though the stone beneath your feet stays cool. He’s across from you, hands braced on the barrel, watching as you lift the glass. There’s a stillness between you, a charge in the air, as if the walls themselves are listening.
The first inhale is layered—smoke curling like a slow exhale, lemon oil glinting sharp at the edges, beeswax softening the space between. Underneath, the smell of wheat left to dry in late summer, and something almost saline, like a breeze slipping in from the coast. It’s a scent you want to follow deeper.
On the tongue, it’s all precision and control. Chardonnay here isn’t lush—it’s sculpted. Golden apple and citrus pith are cut clean by mineral lines, the oak folded in so seamlessly it feels like part of the fruit. Lees wrap it in a texture that’s more caress than weight, holding you steady without pulling you down.
It calls for food that can stand its ground: pork belly snapping under your teeth, the funk of a washed-rind cheese spilling onto the board, root vegetables roasted until their sweetness darkens and the skins turn to char. You find yourself lingering over each sip, unwilling to let it end, knowing full well he isn’t done with you yet.
Region: Südsteiermark (Southern Styria), Styria, Austria Grapes: Chardonnay
