The Zieregg vineyard with its exposition and soil composition can bear fruit for some amazing white wines, that will last over a decade. Many blind tastings of mature bottlings confirm its place in the wine Olympus regardless of origin.
While we did not yet meet Manfred Tement, it was his son, Armin, in charge of winemaking, who got us hooked on the single grape wine made across the border in Slovenia. Tasting their Styria bottlings at the Vivinum in Vienna in June 2016, all the wines impressed with clarity, yet we were curious to see how the market would react to Sauvignon Blanc that isn’t from Marlborough or the Loire Valley.
And the Fosilni Breg from Domaine Ciringa does not disappoint. It is less grassy than some Loire, and not as pungent as many New Zealand Sauvignon Blancs. The wine harbors the perfect middle ground, and offers a mouthful of herbal oil infused aromas, minerals and long citric finish.