Styria | Austria
Step into the enchanting world of Austrian winemaking, and you’ll soon be captivated by the vibrant spirit and unwavering dedication of Franz Strohmeier. With a heartfelt passion for his craft, Franz has elevated the art of winemaking to new heights, creating exquisite bottles that are filled with not just flavors, but with love, joy, and a true reflection of his character.
Deeply committed to sustainability and environmental stewardship, Franz Strohmeier became a pioneer in organic winemaking long before it gained widespread recognition. Embracing biodynamic principles, he eschewed synthetic chemicals and adopted natural, holistic methods to cultivate his vineyards. This unwavering commitment to organic practices has led to many farming experiments, including minimal pruning.
In his quaint cellar, Franz Strohmeier’s winemaking process is akin to a poet meticulously crafting verses. Every step, from the careful selection of grapes to the gentle pressing and the patient aging in oak barrels, is an art form in itself. Franz’s expert touch and attention to detail result in wines that are not just a delightful sensory experience but also a reflection of his own joy and creativity.
Read more about Franz and his minimal pruning technique in THIS PIECE written by Aaran Ayscough on Not Drinking Poison.
~CAT SILVER N.3~
Franz & Christine Strohmeier affectionately refer to the silicate stones with delicate shimmering layers found in the soil of their vineyards as “Cat-Silver.” It’s a fitting name for a wine that beautifully showcases the diverse grape varieties and vineyards they work with. Situated in Steiermark, a region known as the “green heart” of Austria and a part of Styria, their unwavering commitment to favoring the terroir in its most natural form guides all their decisions.
Across their 8 hectares of vineyards, they constantly explore and experiment with the most natural methods possible. For instance, they trialed spraying their vines with whey from cows’ milk, a byproduct of cheese production, instead of conventional copper sulphate.
This wine is a megablend of most/all grapes grown by Franz, a coferment of red & whites with varying amounts of skin contact.
CAT SILVER | 6 x 750ml | SKU #353361 | $38.84
~WEIN DER STILLE N.10~
90% Sauv Blanc 10% Chardonnay, Muskateller
This wine comes from 2017, just one year after a devastating vintage where Franz lost more than half his crop to frost and hail.
The grapes for this wine hail from Franz’s vineyard in Stainz, where a harmonious blend of Chardonnay, and small quantities of Pinot Blanc, and Muskateller thrive. The vineyard’s soils predominantly consist of Gneiss, characterized by its notable abundance of silica and iron.
Here, Franz employs a whole-cluster fermentation technique in 500 and 600L barrels. The wine remains in contact with the skins for an extended period of nine months, extracting depth and complexity. Following this maceration period, the wine is gently pressed off and undergoes an additional 24 months of aging in barrels.
Wein der Stille | 6 x 750ml | SKU #242233 | $68.83
~SONNE N.8~
TLZ Sonne Nº8 2019 features Sauvignon Blanc from Bad Gams. Nestled on a steep slope, the vineyard is adorned with Gneiss soil, which imparts a sense of minerality, finesse, and elegance to the wine.
These exceptional grapes undergo whole-cluster fermentation in 500L barrels for two weeks. Following fermentation, the wine is gently pressed off and placed back into the barrels for an additional year of élévage.
SONNE | 6 x 750ml | SKU #242236 | $61.66
~ROT N.10~
This wine is made from 95% Zweigelt with 5% Blauer Wildbacher , all from the Bad Gams vineyard. This steep site presents gneiss soils with a lot of iron and silica.
After undergoing a four-week fermentation period on the skins, the wine is carefully pressed into a selection of barrels with varying sizes to begin its aging journey of approximately 12 months.
Captivating, this wine bursts with energy, offering a beautiful mouthfeel that lingers on the palate. Delightful the wild fruit flavors.
ROT | 6 x 750ml | SKU #242239 | $41.43
~WEISS N.12~
Weiss is made up of 70% Pinot Blanc and 30% Chardonnay from three vineyards: Stainz, Bad Gams and Lestein. The vineyard that Franz took over in Lestein has a history dating back to the 14th century, inheriting with it an old cellar containing vintages dating from 1938 to the 1940s. From here, Franz regularly samples exhilirating wines from this singular site.
Hand-harvested with meticulous care, only the ripest bunches are selected for this wine. To preserve its freshness, a brief skin contact of five hours is employed, followed by gentle pressing. The wine undergoes spontaneous alcoholic and malolactic fermentation in 500-liter used wooden barrels, where it matures for an additional year.
On the nose and palate, an abundance of citrus and stone fruit flavors with a touch of pleasant saltiness.
WEISS | 6 x 750ml | SKU #242242 | $41.43
~KARMIN N.12~
This wine is Franz’s top rosé. It is made from Blauer Wildbacher from Bad Gams vineyard where 40+ year old vines tenaciously cling to a steep Gneiss hillside.
The bunches are meticulously hand-selected for the healthiest, ripest grapes. After destemming, the juice undergoes a gentle maceration with the skins for four hours. Following this, the wine is delicately pressed and transferred into oak and acacia barrels, for an extended élévage of over a year.
Exuding a captivating charm, this Strohmeier classic resides in the enchanting realm of light reds and deep, introspective rosés. Franz suggests decanting this wine, and serving it at a temperature around 15C to fully enjoy its many layers.
KARMIN | 6 x 750ml | SKU #242266 | $41.43
~INDIGO N.4~
This deep, ink-blue red is one of Franz’s top wines, made with old Blauer Wildbacher vines only in exceptional vintages. Just like the color whose name it carries, this wine is deep and intriguing, it also ages gracefully.
The vineyard was planted by Franz’s father in the 1980s, and the vines are trained to just a single wire.
Hand-harvested with utmost care, the ripest and healthiest grapes are chosen for this wine. After crushing, the grapes spend three weeks in contact with the skins during fermentation. Following this, the wine is gently pressed and transferred to used wooden barrels to age for 24 months.