BEST OF Sauvignon Blanc from Germany, Austria and South Tyrol

The Pyrazine Triangle

18 March, 2021

of Marcus Hofschuster in Tasting

Admittedly, it may not be entirely fair to put German Sauvignons in competition with those from South Tyrol and Austria. In Italy's northernmost province, Sauvignon is a long-established guarantor of quality, and in Austria's Styria region it is the leading variety par excellence. The two regions - perhaps still together with Friuli - are the most important challengers to the variety's French home regions: Loire and Bordeaux. Their best wines need fear no comparison.

In Germany, Sauvignon Blanc is currently very fashionable, but it lacks a recognisable profile. This is not surprising, since the Sauvignon cultivation area is spread over almost all wine regions in Germany. Moreover, some producers don't seem to know quite what to do with this potentially high-class but also sensitive variety. Grass-green, unripe screaming necks are just as unlikely to establish Germany as an origin of high-quality Sauvignons as sweetish, sour, everyday wines that are produced in some places from all available grape varieties for the sake of simplicity. Nevertheless, the variety has a chance to move out of its niche. Especially in Württemberg, where most of the Sauvignon pioneers are at home, in the Palatinate and in Rheinhessen, some committed producers are working on real top qualities that show what is possible - especially in view of the growing conditions that are changing with climate change.

ÖWM - Armin Faber

In Austria, Sauvignon is also successfully cultivated almost everywhere, but the epicentre is clearly in Styria, home to some of the greatest Sauvignons ever. Here, a precise, tart, taut and mostly cool style has become predominant; even the powerful varieties are rarely loud, fat or overly aromatic. Despite all the regional, cellar-specific and hierarchical differences, one does have a fairly clear idea of what one can expect from Styrian Sauvignon of the respective quality category in terms of taste. An unbeatable advantage in the huge world of wine.

The situation is similar in South Tyrol, where Sauvignon, together with Chardonnay, Pinot Blanc and Gewürztraminer, belongs to the quartet of prestigious white varieties: There is hardly a producer who does not offer Sauvignon in his top line. The wines here are generally somewhat warmer and higher in alcohol than in Austria or Germany. The taste profile tends more often towards the exotic. Most of the time, the producers manage to keep the alcohol and the aroma in check. Despite their power, many wines have freshness, life, backbone and precision. Nevertheless, the current top Sauvignons from South Tyrol cannot deny the very warm years of 2017 and 2018, which is why they have to leave the top places in this BEST OF to the Styrians, who are far less exposed to the Mediterranean influence. It will be interesting to see what the picture looks like when we repeat the comparison with the 19s next year.

This BEST OF is the essence of around 300 wines tasted in the past months. Links to all the results can be found at the end of each of the best lists.

BEST OF Sauvignon BlancAustria

Weingut Tement — Styria/Steiermark 2017 Süd-Steiermark Ried Zieregg Sauvignon Blanc Grosse STK Ried trocken 97 WP great 54.00 €

Ewald Zweytick — Styria/Steiermark 2018 Südsteiermark DAC Sauvignon Blanc trocken "Heaven's Door" 95 WP great 138.00 €

Weingut Erwin Sabathi — Styria/Steiermark 2017 Süd-Steiermark Ried Pössnitzberg Kapelle Sauvignon Blanc Grosse STK Ried trocken 95 WP great 88.00 €

Weingut Gross — Styria/Steiermark 2018 Südsteiermark DAC Ried Nussberg Sauvignon Blanc Grosse STK Ried trocken 95 WP great 39.00 €

Weingut Gross — Styria/Steiermark 2017 Süd-Steiermark Sauvignon Blanc trocken "Privat" 94 WP excellent 69.00 €

Weingut Tement — Styria/Steiermark 2017 Süd-Steiermark Ried Sernau König Sauvignon Blanc Grosse STK Ried trocken 94 WP excellent 40.00 €

Johannes Zillinger — Lower Austria/Niederösterreich 2017 trocken "PERPETUUM" 48.00 €

Weingut Neumeister — Styria/Steiermark 2017 Vulkanland Steiermark Ried Moarfeitl Sauvignon Blanc Grosse STK Ried trocken 94 WP excellent 37.00 €

Weingut Markus Pongratz — Styria/Steiermark 2017 Süd-Steiermark Ried Hochberg Sauvignon Blanc Grand Reserve trocken "Schwalbenhimmel"

Weingut Erwin Sabathi — Styria/Steiermark 2018 Süd-Steiermark Ried Pössnitzberg Sauvignon Blanc Grosse STK Ried trocken Alte Reben 93 WP excellent 53.40 €

Weingut Wolfgang Maitz — Styria/Steiermark 2017 Süd-Steiermark Ried Hochstermetzberg Sauvignon Blanc Grosse STK Ried trocken 93 WP excellent 39.00 €

Weingut Wohlmuth — Styria/Steiermark 2017 Süd-Steiermark Ried Edelschuh Sauvignon Blanc trocken 93 WP excellent 42.00 €

Weingut Masser — Styria/Steiermark 2018 Südsteiermark DAC Ried Schlingelberg Sauvignon Blanc trocken "Zeit & Ruh, Fuhreg®" 91 WP excellent 51.20 €

Ewald Zweytick — Styria/Steiermark 2018 Südsteiermark DAC Sauvignon Blanc trocken "Don't Cry" 92 WP excellent 52.00 €

Weingut Walter Skoff — Styria/Steiermark 2018 Südsteiermark DAC Ried Oberkranachberg Sauvignon Blanc trocken 24.20 €

Weingut Harkamp Hannes und Petra — Styria/Steiermark 2018 Süd-Steiermark Ried Kogelberg Sauvignon Blanc trocken

Weingut Erwin Sabathi — Styria/Steiermark 2018 Süd-Steiermark Ried Pössnitzberg Sauvignon Blanc Grosse STK Ried trocken 92 WP excellent 33.30 €

Weingut Sattlerhof — Styria/Steiermark 2017 Süd-Steiermark Ried Kranachberg Sauvignon Blanc Grosse STK Ried trocken 42.00 €

Weingut Gross — Styria/Steiermark 2018 Südsteiermark DAC Ried Sulz Sauvignon Blanc Erste STK Ried trocken 92 WP excellent 22.90 €

Weingut Tement — Styria/Steiermark 2018 Südsteiermark DAC Ried Grassnitzberg Sauvignon Blanc Erste STK Ried trocken 92 WP excellent 25.00 €

Weingut Masser — Styria/Steiermark 2018 Südsteiermark DAC Ried Schlingelberg Sauvignon Blanc trocken "Zeit & Ruh, IC®" 92 WP excellent 32.80 €

Weingut Hannes Sabathi — Styria/Steiermark 2017 Süd-Steiermark Ried Kranachberg Sauvignon Blanc Grosse STK Ried trocken 92 WP excellent 29.50 €

Weingut Schauer — Styria/Steiermark 2017 Süd-Steiermark Ried Gaisriegel Sauvignon Blanc trocken 92 WP excellent

Weingut Neumeister — Styria/Steiermark 2017 Vulkanland Steiermark Ried Klausen Sauvignon Blanc trocken STK Erste Lage 92 WP excellent 22.00 €

Ewald Zweytick — Styria/Steiermark 2019 Südsteiermark DAC Ried Höllriegl Sauvignon Blanc trocken "Am alten Pfarrweingarten" 91 WP excellent 29.00 €

Weingut Erwin Sabathi — Styria/Steiermark 2017 Süd-Steiermark Ried Pössnitzberg Sauvignon Blanc Grosse STK Ried trocken 91 WP excellent 33.30 €

Weingut Kodolitsch — Styria/Steiermark 2017 Süd-Steiermark Ried Rosengarten Sauvignon Blanc trocken "T.M.S." 47.00 €

Weingut Frauwallner — Styria/Steiermark 2017 Vulkanland Steiermark Sauvignon Blanc trocken "PRIVAT" 91 WP excellent 50.00 €

Weingut Tement — Styria/Steiermark 2018 Südsteiermark DAC Ehrenhausen Ortswein trocken "Korallenkalk" 91 WP excellent 19.00 €

Stefan Potzinger Weine GmbH — Styria/Steiermark 2018 Südsteiermark DAC Ried Sulz Sauvignon Blanc trocken "Joseph" 91 WP excellent 25.00 €

Weingut Neumeister — Styria/Steiermark 2018 Vulkanland Steiermark DAC Ried Klausen Sauvignon Blanc Erste STK Ried trocken 91 WP excellent 24.00 €

Weingut Wolfgang Maitz — Styria/Steiermark 2017 Süd-Steiermark Ried Schusterberg Sauvignon Blanc Erste STK Ried trocken 91 WP excellent 29.50 €

Johannes Zillinger — Lower Austria/Niederösterreich 2017 trocken Fumé blanc "Numen" 28.00 €

All wines up to 90 points
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BEST OF Sauvignon BlancSouth Tyrol

Tröpfltalhof — 2017 Sauvignon "Garnellen" Anphora 44.10 €

Tiefenbrunner Schlosskellerei Turmhof — 2017 Südtirol / Alto Adige DOC Sauvignon Blanc Riserva "Rachtl" 92 WP excellent 50.00 €

Kellerei Terlan — 2018 Südtirol / Alto Adige DOC Terlan Sauvignon Blanc "Quarz" 92 WP excellent 36.50 €

Peter Dipoli — 2017 Südtirol / Alto Adige DOC Sauvignon "Voglar"

Kellerei Andrian — 2019 Südtirol / Alto Adige DOC Sauvignon Blanc "Andrius" 90 WP excellent 24.50 €

Kellerei Schreckbichl - Cantina Colterenzio — 2018 Südtirol / Alto Adige DOC Sauvignon "Lafóa®" 90 WP excellent 23.90 €

Weinkellerei Castelfeder — 2017 Südtirol / Alto Adige DOC Sauvignon Riserva "Burgum Novum" 90 WP excellent 24.00 €

Tenuta Kornell — 2018 Südtirol / Alto Adige DOC Sauvignon Blanc "Oberberg" 29.00 €

Kellerei Nals-Margreid — 2019 Südtirol / Alto Adige DOC Sauvignon "Mantele" 89 WP very good 21.50 €

Kloster Neustift — 2019 Südtirol / Alto Adige DOC Sauvignon "Praepositus" 16.60 €

Landesweingut Laimburg - Podere Provinciale Cantina Laimburg — 2017 Südtirol / Alto Adige DOC Sauvignon Blanc Riserva "Oyèll" 89 WP very good 15.30 €

Kellerei Terlan — 2019 Südtirol / Alto Adige DOC Terlan Sauvignon Blanc "Winkl®" 89 WP very good 15.70 €

Cantina Kaltern — 2018 Südtirol / Alto Adige DOC Sauvignon "Quintessenz" 89 WP very good 22.50 €

Weingut Kränzel - Graf Pfeil — 2018 Mitterberg IGT Sauvignon Blanc "Aries" 18.00 €

Kellerei Girlan — 2018 Südtirol / Alto Adige DOC Sauvignon "Flora" 89 WP very good 21.00 €

Weingut Baron Di Pauli — 2019 Südtirol / Alto Adige DOC Sauvignon "Kinesis" 88 WP very good 15.00 €

Peter Sölva — 2019 Südtirol / Alto Adige DOC Sauvignon "De Silva" 17.50 €

Weinkellerei K. Martini & Sohn — 2019 Südtirol / Alto Adige DOC Sauvignon "Palladium" 88 WP very good 11.50 €

Weingut Schloss Englar — 2018 Südtirol / Alto Adige DOC Sauvignon Blanc 88 WP very good 16.00 €

Kellerei Kurtatsch — 2019 Südtirol / Alto Adige DOC Sauvignon "Kofl" 88 WP very good 17.30 €

Weinkellerei Castelfeder — 2019 Vigneti delle Dolomiti IGT Sauvignon "Raif" 88 WP very good 13.50 €

Weingut Niklas — 2019 Südtirol / Alto Adige DOC Sauvignon "DOXS"

Weingut Ebner - Florian Unterthiner — 2018 Südtirol / Alto Adige DOC Sauvignon

Stroblhof — 2019 Südtirol / Alto Adige DOC Sauvignon "Nico" 16.00 €

Elena Walch / Castel Ringberg & Kastelaz — 2019 Südtirol / Alto Adige DOC Sauvignon "Castel Ringberg" 88 WP very good 22.10 €

All wines up to 87 points
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BEST OF Sauvignon BlancGermany

Weingut Axel Bauer — Baden 2019 Sauvignon Blanc Landwein trocken "Grand Vin" 90 WP excellent 45.00 €

Weingut Aldinger — 2018 Sauvignon Blanc Reserve "Ovum" 90 WP excellent 40.00 €

Weingut Weedenborn — Rheinhessen 2018 Sauvignon Blanc trocken Reserve 90 WP excellent 32.00 €

Oliver Zeter — 2019 Sauvignon Blanc "Fumé" 89 WP very good 17.50 €

Weingut von Winning — 2018 Sauvignon Blanc trocken "500" 40.00 €

Weingut von Winning — 2017 Sauvignon Blanc trocken "I" 19.50 €

Weingut Riffel — Rhine/Rhein 2019 Sauvignon Blanc Landwein trocken 25.00 €

Weingut Weedenborn — Rheinhessen 2019 Westhofen Sauvignon Blanc trocken "Terra Rossa" 89 WP very good 18.50 €

Weingut Karl Wegner — 2018 Dürkheim Feuerberg Sauvignon Blanc trocken "Fumé Blanc" 88 WP very good 16.30 €

Weingut Drautz-Able — 2018 Sauvignon Blanc trocken "HADES" 88 WP very good 21.50 €

Winzerhof Stahl — Franconia/Franken 2019 Sauvignon Blanc trocken "Best of" 88 WP very good

Weingut Kilian und Martina Hunn — Baden 2018 Reserve "Fumé Blanc" 88 WP very good 18.50 €

Weingut Hofmann — Rheinhessen 2019 Gau-Algesheim St. Laurenzikapelle Sauvignon Blanc trocken "MG" 88 WP very good 22.50 €

Patrizierhof - Weingut Gasthof Hotel - Familie Grebner — Franconia/Franken 2018 Großlangheim Kiliansberg Sauvignon Blanc trocken "Brodacker" 88 WP very good 28.00 €

Weingut Martin & Georg Fußer — 2019 Ruppertsberg Sauvignon Blanc trocken 12.50 €

Weingut Johann Ruck — Franconia/Franken 2019 Iphofen Kronsberg Sauvignon Blanc VDP.Erste Lage trocken "Muskat Silvaner - Trias®" 15.00 €

Weingut Braunewell — Rheinhessen 2019 Sauvignon Blanc Réserve trocken 88 WP very good 15.00 €

Weingut Heid — 2019 Sauvignon Blanc trocken "Melchisedec" 88 WP very good

Weingut Juliusspital Würzburg — Franconia/Franken 2018 Sauvignon Blanc trocken 88 WP very good 32.00 €

Weingut Bischel — Rheinhessen 2018 Sauvignon Blanc trocken Réserve 88 WP very good 19.90 €

Weingut Geheimer Rat Dr. v. Bassermann-Jordan GmbH — 2018 Sauvignon Blanc VDP.Gutswein trocken "S" Fumé 88 WP very good 24.90 €

Weingut Rainer Schnaitmann — Schwaben 2019 Sauvignon Blanc Landwein trocken VDP.Gutswein, "Iflinger" 88 WP very good 18.50 €

Weingut Markus Meier — Franconia/Franken 2019 Sauvignon Blanc "Aus dem Paradies" 88 WP very good 12.50 €

Weingut Bergdolt-Reif & Nett — 2019 Sauvignon Blanc trocken fumé II "AVANTGARDE" 88 WP very good 15.00 €

Weingut Karl May - Liebenauer Hof — Rheinhessen 2019 Sauvignon Blanc Réserve 88 WP very good 16.00 €

Weingut Lisa Bunn — Rheinhessen 2019 Sauvignon Blanc trocken "Fumé" 88 WP very good 18.50 €

Weingut Braunewell — Rheinhessen 2018 Sauvignon Blanc Réserve trocken 88 WP very good 15.00 €

Scherer&Zimmer — Baden 2018 Sauvignon Blanc Landwein trocken "KB" 88 WP very good 11.90 €

Weingut Höfflin — Baden 2017 Sauvignon Blanc Landwein trocken "Löss/Lehm" 88 WP very good 28.00 €

All wines up to 87 points
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	100 WP unique Wines that can only be made differently, but not better.
	95-99 WP great World-class wines whose depth, complexity, character and expressiveness give an unforgettable, sensual experience.
	90-94 WP excellent First class wines that are among the best of their kind. They are characterized by purity, harmony, depth and character.
	85-89 WP very good Remarkable wines with personality, expression, as well as a certain complexity and depth. They deserve every wine lover's attention.
	80-84 WP good Clean, harmonious, at best typical wines.
	75-79 WP passable
	70-74 WP schwach
	60-69 WP insufficient
	50-59 WP unacceptable

Welcome back!

BEST OF Sauvignon Blanc from Germany, Austria and South Tyrol

The Pyrazine Triangle

This BEST OF is the essence of around 300 wines tasted in the past months. Links to all the results can be found at the end of each of the best lists.

BEST OF Sauvignon BlancAustria

BEST OF Sauvignon BlancSouth Tyrol

BEST OF Sauvignon BlancGermany

Related Magazine Articles

EVENTS NEAR YOU

100 WP unique

95-99 WP great

90-94 WP excellent

85-89 WP very good

80-84 WP good

75-79 WP passable

70-74 WP schwach

60-69 WP insufficient

50-59 WP unacceptable