There has been a tradition for viticulture in the Sabathi family since 1650. The great upswing began in 1992 when Erwin Sabathi Jr. joined his parents' business. Today the family winery is in the hands of Erwin and his wife Patrizia. The winery is an organically-certified operation. Patrizia and Erwin Sabathi's philosophy is based on the provenance of the wine and the work of nature: All grapes are handpicked - due to the nature of the vineyards alone (extremely steep slopes), only traditional manual harvesting is possible. However, another and much more important argument for the winemaking couple is the quality: Here they deliberately rely on hand harvesting.
The most important grape varieties are Sauvignon Blanc and Chardonnay; these enjoy the highest international standing. His Sauvignon Blancs and Chardonnays from the Ried Pössnitzberg (Große STK Ried) are on a par with the very great white wines of the world - and thus at the very top. The Sauvignon Blanc Ried Pössnitzberg Alte Reben and the Chardonnay Ried Pössnitzberg Alte Reben are considered to be absolute rarities: The meticulously selected grapes for these wines come from the oldest vines on the Pössnitzberg. The Chardonnay Ried Pössnitzberger Kapelle and the Sauvignon Blanc Ried Pössnitzberger Kapelle are considered extremely precise world-class wines.
In 2016, Falstaff voted Erwin Sabathi "Winemaker of the Year". One of the reasons for this was his excellence with the Chardonnay grape variety. The Chardonnay Ried Pössnitzberg Alte Reben GSTK is awarded high points year after year. If you are looking for a definite ageing potential upgrade to this wine, look out for the grandiose Chardonnay Ried Pössnitzberger Kapelle, the rarest wine in Sabathi's range. The search is worthwhile: The Alpine republic currently has hardly any "more" Chardonnay to offer.
