Werlitsch, Ex-Vero III 'S' 2022

Place: Styria, Austria

Grape: Chardonnay + Sauvignon Blanc

Vibe: Natural, textural

Ex Vero is one of the most beautiful vineyards I've had the pleasure of laying eyes on. A steep, verdant hillside nestled between Ewald at the bottom and his brother Andreas Tscheppe's house at the top. The energy here is palpable and it reverberates through the bottles too.

III comes from the steepest part of the slope, more Sauvignon here with the vines rooting deep into essentially pure limestone. The 2022 saw long, slow ferments that never really finished. As such, bottled under crown cap with a smidge of resiudal. This is balanced by razor sharp acid lines, and makes this a formidable wine at the table. I really adore this. It's powerful yet seemingly weightless. Iconic.