The wines of Tscheppe, Sudsteiermark, Austria

Andreas and Elisabeth Tscheppe
Natural, biodynamic wines from Südsteiermark, Austria

Website: www.at-weine.at

Andreas Tscheppe

Andreas and Elisabeth Tscheppe farm vines in the south of Styria near the border with Slovenia, and have been making wine since 2006. Their vines are growing using biodynamic principles (certified by Bio Garantie) on terraces. Tscheppe is one of a group of five producers working biodynamically in this pretty region, and I was introduced to these wines by Doug Wregg of Les Caves de Pyrene. Doug had just visited the region, and was full of enthusiasm for Tscheppe. ‘I’ve not seen a vineyard so full of life,’ he told me. It’s 500 m up, and full of wild herbs, grass and bare stones. In the cellar, fermentations are spontaneous and the wines spend a long time in old large oak without racking. Very little sulfur dioxide is used.

THE WINES

Tscheppe Sauvignon Blanc Green Dragonfly (Grüne Libelle) 2012 Sudsteiermark, Austria
13.5% alcohol. This translates as ‘green dragonfly’, and it’s fermented in used 500 litre barrels with indigenous yeasts. It spends 2 years in barrel and then the same time in bottle before release. Amazingly textured, pure and mineral with dense nuts, apples and a bit of spice. There’s a lovely spicy mineral core to this wine as well as a hint of nice reduction. Such a lovely, rounded yet precise wine. Amazing stuff. 94/100

Tscheppe Sauvignon Blanc Green Dragonfly (Grüne Libelle) 2013 Sudsteiermark, Austria
Aromatic. Richly textured with bold pear and spice fruit, with nice weight and lovely mineral character. Precise and pure. 94/100

Tscheppe Sauvignon Blanc Blue Dragonfly 2013 Sudsteiermark, Austria
Very rich and aromatic with sweet, lively pear and spice notes as well as some mineral detail. Rich and expressive. 94/100

Tscheppe Chardonnay Salamander 2013 Südsteiermark, Austria
Very mineral with a matchstick nose. Intense and vivid with some spice. Textured pear and citrus palate is quite beautiful and intense. 94/100

Tscheppe Yellow Muskateller Butterfly 2013 Südsteiermark, Austria
So floral and beautiful. Lively, pure and grapey with nice texture and some richer notes as well as the pure fresh fruit. 92/100

Tscheppe Gold Muskateller Butterfly 2013 Südsteiermark, Austria
Skin contact white. Lovely fresh, pure grapey, lemony notes with a vivid personality and some spiciness. Dense fruit here. 92/100

Tscheppe Earthbarrel Stag Beetle 2012 Südsteiermark, Austria
Sauvignon and Chardonnay fermented for 6 weeks on skins. Then in the winter months the barrel is buried underground to enable the wine to benefit from the strong energy level of the soil. This is structured with nice open pear and peach fruit, together with a bit of spiciness. Nice depth here: serious wine. 93/100