ANDREAS TSCHEPPE
Styria, Austria
The wines of Andreas Tscheppe are not easy to describe. Words do not come easily when tasting wines as pure, elegant and deep as these. These are wines that age gracefully and elegantly, but that are joyous in their youth. They are wines that fill the drinker with emotion while challenging their intellect. They are wines that are so singular and so unique that they transcend grape variety and categorization as a whole. Like his brother Ewald Tscheppe of Weingut Werlitsh, Andreas Tscheppe makes some of the most compelling white wines in the world. Full stop.
Styria is a region in southern Austria bordering Slovenia known almost entirely for white wine. There are huge rolling hills and almost all of the winegrowers here are working on extremely steep slopes, many of which are so steep that tractor work is not possible. Andreas works all of his vines by hand. He also planted and terraced his vineyards by himself, an incredible feat. He farms everything with strict biodynamic principles. Each plant has its place and every living thing is taken into consideration in the belief that the vitality and complexity of the soil are the basis for expressive wines. The vineyards are invigorating places to visit, full of flowers and insects.
His soils are primarily Opok, a local soil which is a kind of Grey Marl. Not unlike limestone it is an acidic soil (finesse, longevity and tension in the wines) and the reddish clay present brings more fruit and density. There are a few different types of Opok present in Andreas’ vineyards which are all around 500m above sea level. From one of his key vineyards, called Krepskogel, the Slovenian border is a stone’s throw away,
Grapes are harvested by hand and brought to the winery for destemming and for white wines a long, slow pressing which typically takes place over night. Fermentation is with natural yeast and elevage is in large barrels and Austrian Foudres. Wines are aged for 18-24 months before being bottled unfltered. For the most part wines are made without sulfur at all, though Andreas takes a pragmatic approach in the cellar
These are incredible aromatic wines bursting with notes of flowers, minerals and fruit capable of very long lives in your cellar.
Quantities are extremely limited, for some wines only 6 bottles.
2017 Salamander
Chardonnay in all its aromatic glory. Mineral, tight and bright with sweet flowers and elegant yellow fruit.
2017 Blue Dragonfly
Sauvignon Blanc but not as you know it. This is a floral, intense wine with notes of elderflower and wild mint. Its velvety, tranquil and harmonious.
2017 Muskateller
The grape for this wine, Gelbermuskateller, is a long-established variety in this part of southern Styria. This is an exotically floral wine with beautiful notes of white and yellow peach, pink grapefruit and white spice with refreshing bitterness and wild herbs.
2017 Stagbeetle
Chardonnay & Sauvignon Blanc fermented on skins for 3-6 weeks in large wooden casks. After a total maturation time of about twenty-four months, the wine is bottled without filtration, fining and minimal (or zero-added) sulphur. This is a wine that is close to the earth in every sense. The slow ageing gives it rich depth and almost spicy complexity. With an intense minerality, deepness and lift, this is a very special wine indeed.
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