Winery

Tement

The Sauvignon Blancs of the Styrian family winery Tement enjoy great international attention. Known as a pioneer of modern viticulture, the young generation today goes one step further.

"At the beginning you think you can improve something in the cellar. But in the end you realise that you can actually only preserve what you bring in from the vineyard."

– Manfred Tement

Colour

Type

Wine Style

Price

Aromatic

Grape

Character

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Sauvignon Blanc "Grassnitzberg" 2019

Fine & Layered

Mineral

Elegant, Tight

33,35 €

44,47 €/L

Winery Tement burns for the highest quality

Manfred Tement has set new standards in Styria as a passionate and tireless visionary, driven by the search for ever higher quality. His Sauvignon Blanc from the Zieregg vineyard is today one of the best in the world and his work has inspired many other winemakers. The wines from Tement, which is now run by the next generation of sons Armin and Stefan, are characterised by a delicate elegance and intense aromas. And also bring out a wonderful minerality and the terroir impressively.

"I don't know anyone in Austria or in other German-speaking countries who produces wines at this level. Hardcore terroir freaks will find sauvignons here that set a new benchmark for wines of this grape variety," says Stephan Reinhardt, the taster in charge at Robert Parker Wine Advocate.

Manfred Tement as a pioneer of modern viticulture

The Tement's success story begins tragically: Manfred is just 16 years old when his father suddenly dies. At that time, he took over responsibility for the winery together with his mother Edina.

His father Josef was already ahead of his time with the idea of making dry wines instead of the usual sweet wines. The ambitious young winemaking talent Manfred Tement was one of the first winegrowers in Styria to understand that quality improvement is not achieved in the cellar, but in the vineyard: by reducing yields, strict selection of only the best grapes and meticulous vinification. No compromises, 100% quality.

The Sauvignon Blanc grape variety had fascinated him early on and he decided to plant it on his best sites, first and foremost the top site Zieregg.

The big breakthrough followed in 1991 when the magazine "Der Feinschmecker" named Manfred Tement's Sauvignon Blanc the "best Sauvignon Blanc in the world". Many more awards, and even better wines, were to follow.

Interview with Armin Tement

What would you say your winery and your wines stand for?

Armin Tement: Our wines stand for individual and independent taste, longevity, finesse & class - but above all for fun, pleasure, whimsy, happiness and joy 😋

What makes a great wine for you? Or what is important to you personally in a wine?

Armin Tement: A great wine is characterised by its symbiosis of the vineyard, the vintage and the people behind it. This characteristic unites a great wine with insane potential.

Does climate change have an influence on your viticulture and does this also change things in your work?

Armin Tement: Of course. Climate change accompanies us every day and makes us grow with it. We try to work even more gently and to come to terms with the natural conditions.

What prompted you to go in the direction of biodynamic?

Armin Tement: This was the logical step of consistent development. It is fascinating to see how important it is to our young customers today that we work biodynamically and produce natural wines that show their edges. That is unique taste.

Are there any learnings or insights regarding winemaking or the wine business that you wish you had had at the beginning of your career?

Armin Tement: It is a constant learning process. Learning from nature, the unmanageable weather, the customer and ourselves. This makes our job a hobby and every day is hard to plan.

Dear Armin, thank you very much for the interview!