STORY
Matthias Warnung’s estate lies in the heart of the Kamptal. A young and forward thinking winemaker, Matthias got his start abroad with vinous internships in South Africa. He returned to his native Austria, with a commitment to responsible viticulture and minimalist winemaking. Though just about everyone who drinks wine knows about Grüner, compared to the stuff you’ll find on the local supermarket, Basis is night-and-day.
HOW TO
Matthias’ ‘Basis’ line represents his ‘villages’ level cuvée, which is a blend of fruit from three of his younger vineyard sites across the region. Fermented whole-cluster only with indigenous yeasts, Matthias opts for old barrels for both fermentation and aging–a real rarity anywhere outside of Burgundy. Since this is no simple Grüner, this cuvée ages in barrel for up to 24 months, or until Matthias deems it ready, before being bottled without filtration and only a minimal addition of sulphur. Basis represents everything we love about real, unfiltered (in both senses of the word) Grüner. It is at once high=toned and mineral driven, yet with a robust backbone highlighting earthy notes of spice and green herbs. A wine that will pair beautifully with cheeses both fresh and aged, it is a rare white that can be paired with herbal veggie preparations and shine.
