Tement 2007 Pino.T unites Pinot Blanc from the Sulz with Chardonnay from the Zieregg and a touch of Pinot Gris. With attractive creaminess of texture, pure apple-y fruit, and nutty, subtly smoky notes, it finishes with slight hints of bitterness and heat, yet a lushness of fruit and a piquancy that will be even more convincing if this is paired with appropriate cuisine. Although I was not in Sudsteiermark last year, I had a chance to taste most of Manfred Tement’s recent releases with him in Vienna.Importer: Weygandt-Metzler Importing, Unionville, PA; tel. (610) 486-0800

Tement’s 2006 Pino.T – a blend of the three white Burgundian varieties from the Grassnitzberg and Zieregg; vinified in tank and aged in fuder – offers fresh apple, piquant hazelnut, and smoked meat on the nose and on a lush yet juicy and refreshing palate. Lees and residual CO2 from the wine’s slow fermentation add to its sense of both richness and freshness. A faintly bitter hint of lemon zest and pungent mineral suggestions add to a low-key but satisfying finish. Tement has been experimenting with fermenting some batches of Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc via semi-carbonic maceration. Tement’s expansion has not stopped at the Slovenian border, and in 2006 he acquired the neighboring holdings of the Carmelites – where his father long worked as winemaker – and since replanted their 90 year old patchwork of vine varieties to insure more Zieregg Sauvignon for the future. Tement has begun using glass stoppers on his wines in lieu of corks. Given the extent of his offerings and given that I travel to Styria only every other year, I cannot pretend to have tasted Tement’s entire 2005 and 2006 collections, but only the subset (perhaps half) that he chose to show me in the time we had available. Tement is modifying his approach with Sauvignon – especially in the top sites – having decided that lower yields and the consequent ability to harvest somewhat earlier are more advantageous (not to mention less risky) than the long hang time he has traditionally practiced with this variety.Importer: Weygandt-Metzler Importing (www.weygandtmetzler.com), Unionville, PA; tel. 610-486-0800