Morillon “Turmalin” 2018
“A very young wine with a wonderful acid and tannin structure. On the nose there are fine aromas of acacia, camomile, ripe yellow fruity aromas like pear, apple, quince but also a hint of fresh mint and fennel notes. There are also natural notes of wood ageing like biscuit or brioche. One cannot deny a certain sexiness to the wine. Powerful and powerful, it has a ruby-like stature with enormous length and a tremendous juiciness.”
Maître Sommelier Gerhard Retter
Shelf life: 20 Years +
Alc.: 13,5 % Vol.
Ried Kreuzberg
Morillon "Turmalin" 2018
Ried Kreuzberg, Südsteiermark DAC
Turmanlinic metamorphic weathered rock
Morillon/Chardonnay
Late budding, very warm spring with early flowering. Dry summer. Earliest harvest ever, relatively abundant rainfall at the beginning of autumn.
100 percent hand harvest
After spontaneous fermentation 27 months on the fine lees
Matured in wooden barrels
Alc. 13,5 % Vol.
1,1 g/l RZ dry
5,0 g/l tbS
With its elegance and finesse, the Morillon 2018 is an incredibly complex guide through the world of pleasures. It brings out the intermediate tones of preparation styles and goes well with meat and fish, with vegetarian and oriental dishes.
In a large Burgundy glass, open 4-6 hours in advance.
Very good drinking maturity: 2022
Optimal drinking maturity: 2023 – 2033 and longer
Maître Sommelier Gerhard Retter describes this wine
The Morillon has a beautiful depth of colour, it is almost golden yellow and shows strong wine tears or “church windows” as they say to the streaks in the glass. It is very clear and clean and relatively aromatic in intensity, but powerful and dry. A clear medium plus. In the expression one recognises primary aromas, but also first secondary aromas. For example, a clear woodiness. The overall impression in terms of quality is: young, but very good to excellent.
It is a very young wine with a very good acidity, medium plus, also with the tannin structure. So you have a bit of “something to bite into”. It is a powerful wine with a relatively high alcohol content, a full, powerful body and a powerful full flavour intensity along with a powerful complex finish. The taste is also primarily fruity, but you can also sense a first ripeness from the yeast and the wood notes in the imprint.
The nose has: acacia, chamomile, ripe yellow apple, juicy pear, ripe quince, citrus notes, some mango, melon, pineapple and a hint of fresh mint. The wine has less flinty notes like the Sauvignon, more the association with those cool, wet stream pebbles. Plus, of course, there are notes that come from the wood ageing. Almost like sponge cake, toasted toast or brioche notes, like sourdough flavours. There is also a delicate hint of vanilla on the nose, very fine and subtle, like a light kiss. On the other hand, there is also clove, nutmeg, toast and cedar, all that smoky aroma that comes from toasting the wine in wooden barrels.
You can’t deny the wine a certain sexiness, because it has a fine spiciness that almost reminds you of candied ginger. And it is still powerful and mighty. A wine that can be said to have a rubens-like stature, that is, a bit expansive, with curves, that has something on its ribs. In addition, there is an enormous amount of length and a tremendous juiciness.
My drinking tip:
Further bottle ageing is really highly recommended for this wine from the 2018 vintage, otherwise you have to decant it for two to three hours. As a glass shape, I would also advise a Burgundy glass here. It is a very good wine, with a bit of alcohol and strong wood flavours. Sexy, that’s what it is!
