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The best wines from The Spring Tasting

We bring you the best wines from The Spring Tasting, featuring an exciting range of new releases that are due to hit the shelves over the coming months.

While other seasons are associated with a particular drink, be it warming reds for winter, refreshing rosés for summer, or rich whites for autumn, when it comes to spring, the theme is less about style, but newness. That’s because this is a moment for the fresh, from the green shoots in the garden to the latest releases from Champagne, just-bottled rosés from Provence, or en primeurs from Bordeaux. And so, with our Spring Tasting, it was a privilege to be able to sample in February a broad array of wines destined for springtime release without having to worry about stylistic constraints, but focus on nothing more than what’s delicious and good-value among the brand new. It was a preview of those wines due to hit the shelves as the vegetation emerges and the days lengthen; these are the bottles to pop when celebrating life after dormancy.

So, The Spring Tasting united wines by the timing of release, rather than their particular style, source area, or grape variety – which are the bases of the drinks business’s other tastings, such as the Sparkling Masters, the Chardonnay Masters or the Tuscan Masters.

And, because we were looking for the best of this year’s upcoming releases, we enjoyed some novel comparisons. For example, we sampled £15 Californian Chardonnay alongside similarly priced Hungarian Furmint, sub-£10 Chilean Cabernet next to Russian Saperavi, and Chilean blanc de blancs with organic Cava – all tasted blind, of course, with the wines’ origins and grapes only revealed to us after the tasting was concluded, and medals assigned.

In short, we were not looking to test the typicity of a wine according to its source region or dominant grape variety, but simply to find quality, wherever it comes from, within a broad type, if narrow price range. This makes for fascinating outcomes, which we shall briefly consider below, before picking out the most exciting finds of The Spring Tasting 2021.

Among our sparkling entries, it was Cava that came out on top, proving a point made after previous db tastings about this Spanish sparkling wine region: it can be the source of fine, ripe, biscuity styles of fizz at keen prices – particularly the organic Parxet Cuvée 21 for under £15 in this competition. Beyond this, there were three fine samples in particular. One was an excellent fruity but fresh, bready fizz from Chile – made by Valdivieso – another a pale salmon-coloured rosé sparkling from Russia, with ripe strawberry, fresh apple and biscuit characters, and a further one was a pretty, peachy, creamy-textured pink sample from Château Léoube in Provence.

When it came to the white wines made without oak influence, we had an array of lovely samples from a range of places, taking in some good value Sauvignon from Russia (Lefkadia), a refreshing canned white from South Africa (Elgin Vintners), along with a range of well-made Sauvignons and Chardonnays from Australia and Chile (The Lane and Montgras, respectively). Over £15 and impressive wines ranged from a Turkish Albariño (Chamlija), Tuscan Vermentino (Banfi) to a Friulan Ribolla Gialla (Castello di Buttrio). As for the standout sample among this part of the tasting, that turned out to be a thrilling discovery, as it hailed from Greece, and comprised a native grape called Malagousia, which was saved from extinction by the producer of our only Gold medallist in this category: Vangelis Gerovassiliou. Intensely flavoured, it has powerful characteristics, from peaches to rose petals, and a salty, mouth-watering edge.

Among the barrel-influenced whites, we had more top-scoring wines, which is in keeping for a category where one would expect to find that more ambitious winemaking yielded greater complexity. Notable among them was the caramelised character of the Robert Mondavi Bourbon barrel-aged Chardonnay, which married masses of sweet oak flavour to bright ripe fruit for under £15. It might not be subtle, but it’s certainly an effective way to bring richness to a white wine. Showing more elegance, but without being thin and dilute, were the excellent Chardonnays from New Zealand, be they from Marlborough (Brancott and Stoneleigh) or Hawke’s Bay (Church Road), with the latter, in my view, one of the world’s great sources of fine, textured Chardonnay for relatively little money – that is, in comparison with the great examples from California or Burgundy. But on the subject of Californian excellence, the Chardonnay from 7Cellars in Carneros was a delicious creamy, peach-and-citrus drop that definitely deserves a mention.

As for rosé, it was a delight to have an early taste of Provençal pink from the most recent 2020 harvest, with the excellent organic samples from La Commanderie de la Bargemone proving the peachy quality of this latest vintage. However, when it came to a top-value pick, it was a Tuscan rosé from Tua Rosa that wowed, using pure Sangiovese to yield a fruity-fresh example for just £8.

If the regions of Hawke’s Bay and Marlborough stood out for the quality of their barrel-fermented Chardonnays in the whites, then it was Toscana and Jumilla that were notable for their oak-influenced reds. While these two regions differ in many respects, both offered excellent wines for relatively good prices, judging by the results of this, our first tasting of 2021. When it comes to Jumilla, a Spanish region with amazing stocks of very old-vine dry-farmed Monastrell, the wines offer something rich, even a touch sweet but still bright, thanks to the dry tannins and natural acidity that come with old vine wines from this variety.

As for the reds from Toscana, the range here is wide, from the entry-level to fine ageworthy type, and from the fleshy black cherry and vanilla scented drop to the pale, light and lifted sort, with the latter most commonly seen within the classic areas of this Italian area, notably Chianti Classico and Brunello di Montalcino. But even the so-called Super Tuscans based on French varieties, above all Cabernet Sauvignon, had an Italian elegance, finishing with a mouth-cleansing combination of dry tannin and fresh acidity. Mastering both the classic and modern faces of Toscana were Banfi and Piccini, with style depending on source area and base grape, but quality remaining high whatever.

Other wines of note included some wonderful Syrahs in a range of styles from the peppery to fleshy, with the quality of Syrah particularly high from Chile’s Leyda (MontGras), Adelaide Hills (The Lane), Israel (Tulip), Greece (Ktima Gerovassiliou) and Hawke’s Bay (Church Road). There were two further delicious wines from Greece, hailing from Domaine Skouras, which employed native grapes Agiorghitiko to yield wines with ripeness and warmth, but also refreshment – a result of a dry tannin texture and salty stony edge.

NEAR-PERFECT SCORES

As for the red wine Masters – those that achieved near-perfect scores were from just two countries: Spain and Italy. Two of them were Brunellos (Poggio Il Castellare and Banfi’s Poggio alle Mura), and highlighted the appeal of Sangiovese from this famous site, where the grape displays its wonderful ability to be light in weight but strong in flavour, while combining ripe, fleshy fruit, with a taut tannin texture. As for the Spanish entries, one showed the delicious appeal of Garnacha from Priorat, with the first-rate sample from the region’s oldest winery, Scala Dei – a mouth-filling mass of juicy-red-berry fruit, white pepper, toast and rock dust. The other was very different: rich, concentrated, with masses of intense dark cherry, tannins, and creamy oak, but also a bright almost sour cherry lift, ensuring this wine, from Legaris in Ribera del Duero, was still easy to drink.

But that wasn’t everything. The tasting finished with some wonderful sweet wines, and a final Master. Coming from Hungary’s famous sweet wine-producing area of Tokaj, the Gold Label Tokaji Aszú 6 Puttonyos from the Royal Tokaji Winery highlighted why this central European region is so revered. Seducing with dried apricots, raisins and honey, the intensely sweet wine then finished with zesty lime and grapefruit to enliven the palate, and leave one refreshed, despite the initial sugary hit.

Please see below for all the medallists from The Spring Tasting 2021:

White Sparkling

Winery Name of Wine Region Country Vint. Medal
Under £10
Pierre Chavin Pierre Zero Sparkling Chardonnay South of France France NV Bronze
 £10-£15
Parxet Parxet Cuvée 21 Ecologic Cava Spain 2018 Gold
Viña Valdivieso Valdivieso Extra Brut Curicó Valley Chile NV Silver
Sensi Vigne e Vini 18K Prosecco DOC Brut Veneto Italy 2019 Bronze
£20-£30
Codorníu Ars Collecta Blanc de Blancs Cava Spain 2017 Gold

Rosé Sparkling

Winery Name of Wine Region Country Vint. Medal
Under £10
Lefkadia Magnatum Rosé Brut Krasnodar Russia 2018 Silver
£20-£30
Léoube Sparkling Love by Léoube Provence France NV Gold

Still White Wine – Unoaked

Winery Name of Wine Region Country Vint. Medal
Under £10
Lefkadia Likuria Sauvignon Blanc Mtsvane Krasnodar Russia 2019 Silver
Elgin Vintners Fynbos Lite Elgin SA 2020 Silver
Kiss of Wine Sauvignon Blanc Loire Valley France 2019 Bronze
Vistamar Vistamar Brisa Low Alcohol Sauvignon Blanc Central Valley Chile 2020 Bronze
Piccini Memoro Bianco Tuscany Italy NV Bronze
Viña San Pedro Tarapaca GatoNegro Low White Blend Central Valley Chile 2020 Bronze
Viña San Pedro Tarapaca GatoNegro Sauvignon Blanc Alcohol Free Central Valley Chile 2020 Bronze
£10-£15
The Lane Vineyard Pinot Gris South Australia Australia 2020 Silver
The Lane Vineyard Sauvignon Blanc Adelaide Hills Australia 2020 Silver
MontGras MontGras Day One Chardonnay Leyda Valley Chile 2020 Silver
MontGras MontGras Organic Sauvignon Blanc Bío Bío Valley Chile 2020 Silver
MontGras Amaral Sauvignon Blanc Leyda Valley Chile 2020 Silver
The English Vine Number 1 Essex UK 2019 Silver
Undurraga T.H. Rarities Riesling-Sauvignon Gris Leyda Valley Chile 2020 Silver
£15-£20
Ktima Gerovassiliou Malagousia Epanomi Greece 2020 Gold
Barone Ritter de Záhony Pàlava Bianco IGT Friuli-Venezia Giulia Italy Italy 2019 Silver
Chamlija Sauvignon Blanc Strandja Mountains Turkey 2020 Silver
Chamlija Albariño Strandja Mountains Turkey 2020 Silver
Banfi La Pettegola Tuscany Italy 2020 Silver
Le Falene Le Falene Bianco Tuscany Italy 2018 Bronze
Domaine Skouras Moscofilero Argolida Greece 2020 Bronze
Bridge Lane Wine Chardonnay New York State USA 2020 Bronze
Bridge Lane Wine Sauvignon Blanc New York State USA 2020 Bronze
Bridge Lane Wine White Merlot New York State USA 2020 Bronze
£20-£30
Castello di Buttrio Ribolla Gialla Friuli-Venezia Giulia Italy 2019 Silver
Chamlija Riesling Strandja Mountains Turkey 2020 Silver

Still White Wine – Oaked

Winery Name of Wine Region Country  Vint. Medal
Under £10
Lefkadia Likuria Terroir Krasnodar Russia 2019 Silver
£10-£15
Robert Mondavi Private Selection Bourbon Barrel-Aged Chardonnay California USA 2019 Gold
Brancott Estate Letter Series O Chardonnay Marlborough NZ 2019 Gold
Church Road McDonald Series Chardonnay Marlborough NZ 2019 Gold
Stoneleigh Latitude Chardonnay Marlborough NZ 2020 Gold
Royal Tokaji Winery Dry Furmint Tokaj Hungary 2019 Silver
Stoneleigh Rapaura Series Chardonnay Marlborough NZ 2020 Silver
Weingut der Pollerhof Grüner Veltliner Frau Mayer Weinviertel Austria 2019 Silver
Weingut der Pollerhof Vom Löss Weinviertel Austria 2019 Silver
Elgin Vintners Elgin Vintners Chardonnay Elgin SA 2020 Bronze
£15-£20
Church Road Grand Reserve Chardonnay Hawke’s Bay NZ 2019 Gold
Robert Mondavi Private Selection Chardonnay California USA 2019 Silver
Robert Mondavi Private Selection Sauvignon Blanc California USA 2019 Silver
Ktima Gerovassiliou Viognier Epanomi Greece 2019 Silver
£20-£30
7Cellars Elway’s Reserve Chardonnay Carneros USA 2019 Gold
The Lane Vineyard Beginning Adelaide Hills Australia 2019 2019 Silver
The Lane Vineyard Gathering Adelaide Hills Australia 2019 2019 Silver
Chamlija Quartz Fumé Strandja Mountains Turkey 2019 Silver
£50+
The Lane Vineyard RG Adelaide Hills Australia 2017 Silver

Still Rosé – Unoaked

Winery Name of Wine Region Country  Vint. Medal
Under £10
Sensi Vigne e Vini Tua Rosa Tuscany Italy 2019 Gold
MontGras MontGras Early Harvest Rosé Colchagua Valley Chile 2020 Bronze
£10-£15
Commanderie de la Bargemone Bargemone Provence France 2020 Silver
Domaine Skouras Cuvee Prestige Rose Argolida Greece Silver
£15-£20
La Commanderie de la Bargemon Commanderie de la Bargemone (USA Version) Provence France 2020 Silver
La Commanderie de la Bargemon Commanderie de la Bargemone (French Version) Provence France 2020 Silver
Bridge Lane Wine Rosé New York State USA 2020 Bronze

Still Red – Unoaked

Winery Name of Wine Region Country  Vint. Medal
Under £10
Piccini Solco Toscana Rosso da Uve Leggermente Appassite Tuscany Italy 2020 Gold
Morandé Wine Group AOX High Antioxidant Chile Chile NV Silver
Lefkadia Likuria Saperavi Krasnodar Russia 2019 Silver
Unión Campesina Iniestense Señorio de Iniesta Premium Coupage La Mancha Spain 2019 Silver
Vistamar Vistamar Brisa Low Alcohol Cabernet Sauvignon Central Valley Chile 2020 Bronze
Bodegas Arloren Vino Paca Jumilla Spain 2019 Bronze
Viña San Pedro Tarapaca GatoNegro Low Red Blend Central Valley Chile 2020 Bronze
Parajes del Valle Bodegas y Viñedos Organic Monastrell Jumilla Spain 2019 Bronze
£10-£15
Bodegas Viña Elena Paraje Marín Jumilla Spain 2019 Silver
MontGras Organic Pinot Noir Bío Bío Valley Chile 2020 Bronze
Kiss of Wine Nebbiolo Trieso/Piedmont Italy 2016 Bronze
£15-£20
Torre Mora Cauru Etna Rosso Sicily Italy 2019 Silver

Still Red – Oaked

Winery Name of Wine Region Country  Vint. Medal
Under £10
Piccini Collezione Oro Chianti Riserva Tuscany Italy 2018 Gold
BSI Bodegas San Isidro Sabatacha Crianza Jumilla Spain 2017 Gold
Bodegas Olivares Olivares Tinto Jumilla Spain 2019 Silver
Bodegas Pío del Ramo Pío del Ramo Roble Jumilla Spain 2019 Silver
Viña Valdivieso Valdivieso Winemaker Malbec Curicó and Maule Valley Chile 2020 Bronze
£10-£15
MontGras Amaral Syrah Leyda Valley Chile 2019 Gold
Robert Mondavi Private Selection Bourbon Barrel-Aged Cabernet Sauvignon California USA 2019 Gold
Piccini Sasso al Poggio Tuscany Italy 2018 Gold
Bodegas Silvano Garcia Viña Honda Crianza Jumilla Spain 2017 Gold
MontGras MontGras Day One Cabernet Sauvignon Maipo Valley Chile 2019 Gold
MontGras MontGras Day One Carmenère Colchagua Valley Chile 2019 Silver
Undurraga Undurraga Red Field Blend Maule Valley Chile 2019 Silver
Agricoltori del Chianti Geografico Contessa di Radda Toscana Tuscany Italy 2018 Silver
Bodegas Carchelo Carchelo Selecto Jumilla Spain 2014 Silver
Bodega Madrid Romero Madrid Romero Red 6 Months Jumilla Spain 2018 Silver
Bodegas Luzón Altos de Luzón Jumilla Spain 2019 Silver
Bodegas Ontalba Ontalba Jumilla Spain 2019 Silver
MontGras MontGras Organic Red Blend Maipo Valley Chile 2020 Bronze
Piccini Chianti Classico Riserva Tuscany Italy 2017 Bronze
£15-£20
Church Road McDonald Series Syrah Hawke’s Bay New Zealand 2019 Master
Bodegas Alceño Alceño Premium 50 Barricas Jumilla Spain 2019 Gold
The Lane Vineyard Shiraz Adelaide Hills Australia 2019 Gold
Robert Mondavi Private Selection Pinot Noir California USA 2019 Gold
Banfi Aska Tuscany Italy 2017 Gold
Piccini Brunello di Montalcino DOCG Tuscany Italy 2016 Gold
Bodegas Sierra Norte Equilibrio 9 Jumiilla Spain 2018 Gold
Bodegas Bleda Castillo de Jumilla Crianza Jumiilla Spain 2017 Gold
Robert Mondavi Private Selection Cabernet Sauvignon California USA 2019 Silver
Robert Mondavi Private Selection Zinfandel California USA 2019 Silver
Charles Smith Wines The Velvet Devil Merlot Washington State USA 2018 Silver
Charles Smith Wines Boom Boom! Syrah Washington State USA 2019 Silver
Fattoria di Calappiano Chianti Riserva Vinciano DOCG Tuscany Italy 2017 Silver
Agricoltori del Chianti Geografico Contessa di Radda Chianti Classico Tuscany Italy 2018 Silver
Raimat Raimat El Silenci del Molí Costers del Segre Spain 2017 Silver
Viña Valdivieso Valdivieso Single Vineyard Carmenère Colchagua Valley Chile 2018 Silver
Bodegas Fernández Escudo de Plata Reserva Jumilla Spain 2015 Silver
£20-£30
7Cellars Elway’s Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley USA 2018 Gold
Domaine Skouras Megas Oenos Peloponnese Greece 2016 Gold
Domaine Skouras Grande Cuvee Argolida Greece 2016 Gold
Fattoria di Calappiano Lungarno – Toscana IGT Tuscany Italy 2017 Gold
Ktima Gerovassiliou Evangelo Epanomi Greece 2018 Gold
Ego Bodegas Goru 38 Barrels Jumilla Spain 2018 Gold
Meiomi Wines Meiomi Pinot Noir California USA 2019 Gold
Banfi La Lus Piedmont Italy 2017 Silver
Esencia Wine Cellars Casa de la Ermita Petit Verdot Jumilla Spain 2018 Silver
Bodegas San Dionisio Mainetes Crianza 12 Meses Jumilla Spain 2017 Silver
Bodegas Juan Gil Juan Gil Blue Label Jumilla Spain 2013 Silver
Chamlija Papika Strandja Mountains Turkey 2019 Bronze
Chamlija Kara Sevda Strandja Mountains Turkey 2019 Bronze
£30-£50
Poggio Il Castellare Brunello di Montalcino DOCG Tuscany Italy 2016 Master
Legaris Alcubilla de Avellaneda Ribera del Duero Spain 2017 Master
Banfi Poggio alle Mura Brunello di Montalcino Tuscany Italy 2016 Master
Scala Dei Cartoixa Priorat Spain 2017 Master
Maia Winery Mare Nostrum Bik’at Hanadiv Israel 2016 Gold
Tulip Winery Syrah Reserve Upper Galilee Israel 2018 Gold
The Lane Vineyard Reunion Adelaide Hills Australia 2016 Gold
Church Road Church Road 1 Syrah Hawke’s Bay New Zealand 2018 Gold
Banfi Castello Banfi Brunello di Montalcino Tuscany Italy 2016 Gold
Banfi Summus Tuscany Italy 2017 Gold
Castello di Buttrio Pignolo Friuli-Venezia Giulia Italy 2014 Silver
The Lane Vineyard 19th Meeting Adelaide Hills Australia 2018 Silver

Sweet White Wine

Winery Name of Wine Region Country  Vint. Medal
£10-£15
Royal Tokaji Winery Late Harvest Tokaj Hungary 2019 Silver
£20-£30
Royal Tokaji Winery Blue Label Tokaji Aszú 5 Puttonyos Tokaj Hungary 2017 Gold
£30-£50
Royal Tokaji Winery Gold Label Tokaji Aszú 6 Puttonyos Tokaj Hungary 2017 Master

Beer Flavoured

Brewery Name Country Medal
Winebeer Winebeer Chile Silver

About the competition

Please visit The Global Masters website for more information about The Spring Tasting, or, to enter future competitions – giving you the chance to feature online and in print – please call: +44 (0) 20 7803 2420 or email Sophie Raichura at: sophie@thedrinksbusiness.com

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