Johannes Zillinger Parcellaire White 2022

Johannes Zillinger farms in Lower Austria on an estate worked since 1673, organic since 1984 and now biodynamic and circular, with animals and cover plants woven through the vineyards. This white blends Chardonnay with Welschriesling, an Austrian variety that keeps bright acidity. The continental climate, with warm summers and cold nights, ripens the fruit fully while holding freshness. The wine is made with minimal intervention, fermented with native yeasts and aged in barrel, and it is bottled unfiltered so the colour is a gently cloudy golden yellow that signals the natural cellar work. Time on the lees builds texture and a nutty, almond depth through the slow release of mannoproteins, while barrel ageing allows a little oxygen exchange that broadens the palate and adds a honeyed, waxy note. The nose shows ripe pear and quince, almond and a backdrop of white flowers. The palate is medium bodied and dry, rounded and textured with ripe orchard and stone fruit, carried by a fresh acidic line into a long, slightly savoury finish. Serve at 11 to 12 degrees in a white glass.