Wine from the Schist Slopes of the Sausal
Weingut Michi Lorenz is one of Austria's most exciting and expressive natural wine producers — a young, dynamic winemaker farming 16 hectares of steep vineyards on the southern front of the Sausal mountains in South Styria, at an altitude of 620 metres. [^88^] [^94^] The Lorenz family has been making wine since 1524, and Michi represents a new generation that has inherited centuries of tradition while forging a boldly individual path. [^88^] Certified biodynamic by Demeter, his vineyards are planted on a striking mosaic of schist soils — grey schist, red schist, and black schist — each adding a different character to the wines. [^89^] [^106^] His motto is "attention but not interference": native yeast fermentation only, no added yeasts, minimal sulfur, and a winemaking approach that treats wine as an art form akin to music. [^88^] [^103^] The result is a range of wines — white, red, rosé, and orange — that are wildly expressive, terroir-driven, and impossible to pigeonhole. [^98^]
From Five Centuries of Tradition to a New Generation of Expression
The Lorenz family's connection to wine stretches back to 1524 — nearly five centuries of uninterrupted viticulture on the Sausal mountain. [^88^] This is not a project founded by outsiders or entrepreneurs; it is a lineage, a birthright, a way of life that has been passed down through generations. Michi Lorenz grew up in this world, surrounded by vines, seasons, and the rhythms of a mountain farm.
But Michi is not a traditionalist in the conventional sense. While he honours his family's history, he brings a youthful energy, a rock-and-roll sensibility, and a deep commitment to natural wine that sets him apart from the more typical Austrian winemakers. [^88^] He equates wine with music — an art form, a creative expression, a way of channelling emotion and place into something that can be shared. [^103^] This artistic sensibility is evident in everything he does, from the vineyard to the cellar to the bottle.
The Sausal is an Inselberg — an isolated mountain that rises dramatically from the South Styrian landscape, with the wine village of Kitzeck at its heart. [^70^] At 620 metres, Michi's vineyards are among the highest in the region, exposed to the full force of the mountain's weather: sudden rain, late frosts, capricious sunshine, and the ever-present wind. The steep slopes make mechanisation impossible; all work is done by hand. [^105^]
Despite — or because of — these challenges, Michi has become an up-and-coming superstar of the Austrian wine scene. [^105^] His wines are sought after by natural wine enthusiasts across Europe and beyond, prized for their wildness, their clarity, and their unmistakable sense of place. He is a breath of fresh air in a region that, while historically rich, has sometimes been defined by tradition rather than innovation. [^88^]
"Attention but not interference."
— Michi Lorenz, winemaking motto
Demeter Biodynamic, Three Schists & Steep Mountain Vines
Michi Lorenz's vineyards are certified biodynamic by Demeter, the highest standard of organic agriculture. [^89^] This means no synthetic chemicals, no herbicides, no pesticides, no artificial fertilisers. Instead, the vineyards are managed as living ecosystems, with cover crops, biodiversity, and biodynamic preparations creating a self-sustaining environment where the vines can thrive without artificial support.
The soils are the defining feature of the Lorenz wines. The Sausal mountain is composed of schist — metamorphic rock that has been fractured, folded, and weathered over millions of years. [^106^] But not all schist is the same. Michi's vineyards contain three distinct types: grey schist, red schist, and black schist. [^106^] Each adds a different character to the wine. The grey schist gives a stony, mineral backbone. The red schist, coloured by iron deposits, adds warmth, depth, and a ferrous edge. The black schist contributes darkness, density, and a kind of geological gravitas. Together, these three schists create a palette of terroir that is unique to the Lorenz estate.
The altitude — 620 metres — ensures cool nights and slow ripening, preserving natural acidity and allowing flavours to develop gradually. [^94^] The steep slopes, often exceeding 45 degrees, provide excellent drainage and sun exposure, but they also make every task a physical challenge. Pruning, canopy management, and harvesting are all done by hand, with workers navigating the inclines with skill and care. This manual labour is not a romantic affectation but a practical necessity — and a quality advantage. Hand-harvested grapes arrive at the winery intact, with stems and berries undamaged, ready for gentle pressing and spontaneous fermentation.
The combination of biodynamic farming, three distinct schist soils, and high-altitude steep slopes gives the Lorenz wines a complexity and individuality that is rare even in the diverse world of South Styrian natural wine. Each parcel, each variety, each vintage expresses a different facet of this mountain — and Michi's role is not to impose his will but to listen, observe, and guide.
Full biodynamic certification by Demeter. Holistic farming with biodynamic preparations, cover crops, biodiversity, and no synthetic inputs. [^89^]
Grey schist (stony minerality), red schist (iron warmth, ferrous edge), black schist (density, gravitas). Each adds a distinct character to the wines. [^106^]
High-altitude vineyards on the Sausal mountain. Cool nights, slow ripening, vibrant natural acidity. Among the highest in South Styria. [^94^]
All vineyard work by hand on slopes exceeding 45 degrees. No mechanisation possible. Physical, meticulous, and essential to quality. [^105^]
Native Yeasts, Minimal Sulfur & Wine as Art Form
Michi Lorenz's winemaking philosophy is captured in four words: "attention but not interference." [^88^] This means being present, observant, and sensitive to what the wine needs — but resisting the urge to control, manipulate, or standardise. The goal is not to produce a consistent product but to allow each vintage, each parcel, each grape variety to express itself fully.
Fermentation is entirely spontaneous — driven by native yeasts present on the grape skins and in the winery environment. [^89^] Michi does not add cultured yeasts, enzymes, or other fermentation aids. He trusts the natural microbiome of his biodynamic vineyard to do the work, and the results are wines with unexpected aromatics, complex flavours, and a sense of aliveness that laboratory yeasts cannot replicate.
Sulfur is used minimally — only when absolutely necessary for stability. [^89^] The wines are not fined or filtered unless absolutely necessary, preserving the living character of the wine and allowing it to evolve in the bottle. This minimal-intervention approach demands patience and confidence: the wines are allowed to ferment at their own pace, to develop their own character, and to be bottled only when they are truly ready.
Michi's artistic sensibility — his view of wine as music, as art — informs every decision. [^103^] He is not afraid to experiment, to push boundaries, to create wines that defy categorisation. The grape variety is sometimes the star, sometimes a supporting actor; the terroir is always the stage. [^98^] This flexibility, this willingness to let the wine be what it wants to be, is what makes Lorenz wines so exciting and so difficult to pigeonhole. They are natural wines in the truest sense: wines that have been allowed to find their own voice.
Halo Sauvignon Blanc — "The Wild Chameleon"
The Halo Sauvignon Blanc is Michi's most celebrated wine — a Sauvignon Blanc that defies every expectation of what the grape can be. [^93^]
Grown on the schist slopes of the Sausal at 620 metres, the grapes are hand-harvested, spontaneously fermented with native yeasts, and aged with minimal sulfur. The result is not the explosive, grassy, reductive Sauvignon of conventional Styria, but a wine of extraordinary depth and complexity: stony minerality from the grey schist, a hint of iron warmth from the red schist, and a dark, brooding intensity from the black schist.
The wine evolves continuously in the glass — hence the "wild chameleon" moniker. First, it is all citrus and crushed stone. Then, herbal notes emerge — sage, thyme, wild mountain herbs. Finally, a savoury, almost saline finish that speaks of the mountain itself. It is a wine that demands attention, rewards patience, and proves that Sauvignon Blanc, when farmed biodynamically on schist and made with minimal intervention, can be as profound and age-worthy as any great white wine in the world. ~€55–€70 / ~$60–$77.
The Michi Lorenz Range
Weingut Michi Lorenz produces a diverse range of white, red, rosé, and orange wines from their 16 hectares of Demeter-certified biodynamic vineyards on the Sausal mountain. All wines are hand-harvested, spontaneously fermented with native yeasts, and made with minimal sulfur and no fining or filtration. [^89^] [^87^] The portfolio is built around the three schist soils and the high-altitude terroir, with each wine expressing a different facet of the mountain's character. Prices are approximate and in EUR/USD.