Roland is a member of Schmecke das Leben (“Taste Life”), a circle of like-minded Styrian growers whose wines we really love – his colleagues Franz Strohmeier, Sepp Muster, Andreas Tscheppe are also represented by us in the States.
All Tauss’ vineyards lay on one hill called Hohenegg, a beautifully green sun-laden slope with a chapel dedicated to St. Urban – the patron saint of winemakers – at the top.
Opok = rocky clay and silt over chalky marl subsoil
Roland has a ritual of walking up there every morning, and you can definitely see the daily hike in his impressive calf muscles
Besides the immaculate winery, the Tauss’ property also features a cozy, fully eco-friendly hotel that takes advantage of its beautiful verdant surroundings, with wellness and yoga classes, run by Roland’s wife Alice – a tip for your next holiday retreat, perhaps?
Austrian Chard! Though it's leanness and unique aromas may have you thinking more along the lines of the country's more famous white grapes: Gruner, Riesling, and Sauvignon Blanc. Honeysuckle, grassy notes, pronounced minerality, melon, lemon zest, lush and vibrant, serious structure (could be cellared for a few years).
region: : the village of Schlossberg, Southern Styria, Austria
varietal: chardonnay
style: white
farming & cellar: certified organic, certified biodynamic, ambient yeast, hand-harvested into small crates, with manual selection in the vineyard. Destemmed and gently pressed in open pneumatic press. Both the alcoholic and malolactic fermentations happen spontaneously in old neutral French barriques and 300L barrels. The wine spends about 12 months in total neutral oak casks, unfined, unfiltered, no added so2
pairing: fried lake perch, scallops
