2021 Strohmeier Cat - Silver N°3
WINEMAKER: Christine & Franz Strohmeier
REGION: Styria, AT
VARIETAL: Sauvignon Blanc, Pinot Blanc, Chardonnay, Bronner, Muscaris, Büten-Muskateller, Souvignier Gris, Zweigelt, Blauer Wildbacher, Cabernet Jura, Merlot, Rösler, Regent
VITICULTURE: Biodynamic
“Cat-silver” is how the Strohmeiers call the silicate stones with very thin layers sparkling on the soil of all their vineyards. A perfect name for a wine that shows all varieties of grapes and vineyards they work with. A.blend of skin-fermented and direct-press grapes. Spontaneous fermentation in wooden casks. The wine is bottled after 8 months (early by Strohmeier standards) with a small dose of sulfur (15 mg/l). No fining or filtration. Lively and full of energy.
"Franz Strohmeier is a visionary natural winemaker, working in the Steiermark part of Styria, known as the “Green Heart” of Austria. Franz is a very philosophical winemaker – who is never contented to make wine like the establishments around him – always making the decisions that expresses his terroir in the most natural way. He is constantly tinkering with his 8-hectares of vines to find better and more natural methods. An example most recently was his use of whey (the liquid part of milk produced in cheese production) to spray his grapes, instead of copper sulfate. He has some portion of his grapes growing wild, without pruning, that produce very small intensely flavored grapes.
Franz does not subscribe to any certified biodynamic organization, although many of his methods sound biodynamic to us. If a malady strikes a vine, he often prefers to not treat it. Instead, he prefers to forgo those vines, saying the vineyard as a whole gains in health from a little bit of sickness, showing how biodiversity is of chief concern.
He makes wines that are like nothing else we have ever tasted, a true display of the unique terroir of this region. Franz makes sparkling wines with great finesse and stability, perfect for everyday drinking and pairing with a wide variety of foods. He also makes the Trauben, Liebe & Zeit (=Grapes, Love, Time) line, amazingly crafted zero sulfur wines made with nothing but grapes, love and time." - Jenny & François