2006 Neumeister - Sauvignon Blanc Moarfeitl Selektion

The 2006 Sauvignon Blanc Moarfeitl Selektion – tasted from fuder – is as dramatically atypical for Sauvignon as the Klausen was archetypal. Peach, apricot, orange blossom, buddleia, and smoked meat almost suggest a hypothetical hybrid of Riesling and Pinot Gris. Creamy and rich yet clear, juicy, refined and with a lovely sense of lift, it exhibits profuse inner-mouth florality and saline mineral suggestions. This should be richly satisfying, not to mention intriguing to follow for 3-4 years. Young Christoph Neumeister is now officially the master of this family’s architecturally dramatic, high-tech cellar. There is a new label, and no doubt less superficial innovations will follow, but Albert Neumeister’s commitment to quality and to showcasing both his own and neighbors’ grapes from this still little-known corner of Styria will certainly remain. The rains of August brought botrytis to fruit that was roughly a week ahead of the Sudsteiermark in ripeness, and picking (which began October first) as well as vinification had to be very watchful. Importer: Morandell Imports, Los Angeles, CA; tel. (310) 328-5010