ZIEREGG
STEILRIEGEL

Single-vineyard ZIEREGG STEILRIEGEL was planted with Morillon to over 90%. Characterized by cambisol and coralline limestone soil, the old vines grow on a 16 million year old coral reef.
Cool winds favour the very aromatic expression of the grapes. To allow the whole complexity of the single-vineyard and variety to be reflected in the bottle, a prolonged ageing process in small neutral oak barrels (228 lt) is crucial. After natural fermentation this Chardonnay was fermented for more than 24 months “sur lie”. Bottled unfiltered.

Exceptional vintage with inspiring length. Ageing potential 20 years and more.

Ried ZIEREGG belongs probably to one of the most famous vineyards in Austria. But for our family it is much more than an iconic flagship. It is the origin of the family history and a place of big emotion. Vineyard and family are deeply rooted in each other.

When Manfred had to take over the winery in 1976 after the sudden and tragic death of his father at the age of only 16, single vineyard Zieregg was still very small. Together with mother Edina a local “Buschenschank” (local inn) was run in order to be able to afford viticulture. In the 90s Manfred could reinvest all savings entirely in parcels on the Zieregg, which allowed the winery to grow. At the beginning of the 2000s, the vineyard Zieregg could be expanded to the high plateau at the foot of the Karmeliter Chapel (“Kapelle”). When Zieregg expanded so did the diversity in terms of soil type, exposure and microclimate.

Since 2005, Armin has been working hand in hand with father Manfred and Stefan has completed the “trio ” since 2010 and allows our family to evolve and to make fundamental decisions regarding organic farming and the puristic signature of our wines. One consequence of these new ideas was to separately vinify the individual plots in order to achieve an even more precise understanding of the multifaceted richness of our vineyards. Most famous example are the Zieregg plots or “parcels” as we call them. Today, a total of 18 plots are selectively cultivated and developed at our grand cru vineyard Zieregg.

In 2022, a statutory vineyard ordinance came into effect, which brought many changes for the wine region Steimark. For us, it was the right time to even sharpen our own vineyard profile. However, the new ordinance prohibits us from continuing to fill the previously used and vinified plots at Zieregg as individual plots, since “a Ried is the smallest permissible geographical indication.”

And now, after more than four decades of intense and detailed debate, it was decided in the family that, with the 2020 vintage, four individual vineyards on Zieregg would be created:

1. Ried ZIEREGG Sauvignon Blanc
2. Ried ZIEREGG KÅR [spoken “koar”] Sauvignon Blanc
3. Ried ZIEREGG KAPELLE Sauvignon Blanc
4. Ried ZIEREGG STEILRIEGEL Morillon