‘Parcellaire Blanc No. 1'

Chardonnay & Welschriesling, Niederösterreich, Austria 

A fiercely aromatic and serpentine white with a scaly sheen of flor influence. Johannes Zillinger took over his family's 350-year-old (!) Austrian winery in 2013. Already one of the first organic wineries in the region, Johannes converted the operation to fully certified biodynamics, and now explores solera systems & flor influence with reverence. The ‘Parcellaire’ range is a further development of Johannes's single vineyard wines, using only the coolest parcels of his oldest vines—think vines brushing shoulders with north-facing forests, atop gusty hilltops. The sweeping welschriesling is whole cluster fermented in qvevri on skins for voluminous texture and ballooning fragrance, then pressed and matured in oak to tie down. Meanwhile, the sturdy chardonnay is whole cluster pressed and left to its own devices for eight months in acacia barrels under flor, developing earthly savouriness. Shattered, freeze-dried white peaches, fresh bergamot, baked yellow pears in skins, hot stone massage, crème fraîche, cannoli shells, herbs in the field, a spine of limestone acidity & a gargle of salinity. Enjoy while watching Mozart in the Jungle.